DELANO, Calif. (KERO) — The 47th annual Philippine Weekend brought the community together in Delano to celebrate Filipino culture and heritage through food, family and tradition.
Mark Macanas has been attending the celebration his entire life, growing up in nearby Rich Grove. Now he gets to enjoy Philippine Weekend with his own family, creating new memories while honoring his cultural roots.
"Coming here my whole life. I'm from Rich Grove. I'm so growing in this neighborhood has always been a fun occasion coming here celebrating the culture," Macanas said.
For Mark's wife Amy, the weekend celebration serves as an important way for their children to learn about their heritage.
"It's nice just learning a different culture and supporting him and his culture. And, you know, our boys are half, so it's great to see them enjoying it and everything," Amy said.
Philippine Weekend in Delano was created with the purpose of celebrating Filipino culture. One of the event's main highlights is the Barrio Fiesta at Memorial, where people lined up throughout the weekend to enjoy authentic Filipino food.
Jae and Cassie Macanas started their own business this year with the goal of participating in this year's Philippine Weekend. Their food venture, "Poke Pockets," drew larger crowds than they anticipated.
"It was nice to come back to our roots and to give back back to where we came from," they said.
The couple was surprised by the overwhelming response from customers eager to try their offerings.
"It's been amazing and an amazing experience. We definitely underestimated our customers and how the amount of people we were gonna serve. So it's been a great experience, it's been fabulous," they said.
The next Philippine Weekend will be held again next year.
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