Dagupan’s Bangus Festival kicks off April 2

Dagupan’s biggest summer spectacle, Bangus Festival, will reel off on April 2 to May 1 with new and exciting events awaiting visitors and the locals.

Among the the new events are the holding of a “Fun, Fun, Fun ed Tondaligan” set in the newly re-launched Tondaligan Beach by the Lingayen Gulf, rich with its famous sands.

However, prior to the festival’s grand opening, the Bangusan Village will be opened on March 31 at the New De Venecia Extension Highway to host a carnival and a flea market called “baratillo”, and a food court for native delicacies, an activity seen to last till June 30 in time for the celebration of Dagupan City’s Platinum Year on June 20, marking Dagupan’s 75th year as an independent component city.

City Tourism Officer Sharon Maramba said all the activities during the grand opening day will be held at the Tondaligan Blue Beach where people will have a chance to enjoy watching the sand sculpture contest, kite flying, “Galaw na Ogogaw” (Children’s Games) and “Sayawan ed Tondaligan”.

Also at the beach is the volleyball clinic of the Beach Volleyball Republic on April 7 to 9 to help facilitate the holding of a local beach volleyball tournament among local players.

In this activity, beachcombers will have the chance to watch their favorite national beach volleyball players in the flesh who will compete in the Beach Volleyball Exhibition Finals.

Local skateboard fanatics will also compete with each other in the 4th Wave Skateboarding Competition dubbed as “Skate the Tides” set on April 8 at the Dagupan City Plaza while slalom enthusiasts will have a chance to watch their favorite players play the game at the CSI Helipad on April 9 in the 2017 Slalom Event.

Part of the festival celebration would be the giving of employment opportunities to local job seekers in a job fair set on April 20 starting at 9:00 a.m. at the CSI Atrium.

April 21 would be the day slated for the “Gilon-Gilon ed Baley”, a street dancing competition among the city’s 31 villages to select which team will represent the city in the much awaited Festivals of the North, an all star street dancing competition on April 28.

After the Gilon-Gilon ed Baley, the Bangus Rodeo, a bangus beauty pageant and games will be held the next day at the city plaza.

On April 22 to 23, there will be the Philswim at the Dagupan City poolside. In the evening of April 22, the UP North Music and Arts Festival will be held at the CSI Helipad.

At 5:00 in the early morning of April 23, the Bangus Festival Fun Run at the New De Venecia Extension Highway will be held, to be followed by an open golf tournament at the Dagupan Golf and Beach Club in Bonuan and the Mistisang Bangus Gay Beauty Pageant at the Dagupan City Plaza starting at 6:00 p.m.

The different ways to cook bangus called the Bangusine, a Bangus Culinary Showcase, will be held on April 25 at the city plaza from 4:00 in the afternoon.

On April 26 at 5:00 p.m., hip-hop dancers will compete against each other in the Dance Philippines Hip-hop Battle at the city plaza.

The Bangusan Street Party at the New De Venecia Extension Highway will be held on April 30 while on May 1, on the occasion of the Pistay Dayat (Sea Festival), there will be Beach Bodies Party at Tondaligan Blue Beach.

Well-known bands like Sponge Cola, Itchyworms, Rocksteddy, Silent Sanctuary, SUD, Jensen and the Flips, Lunarlights, Brisom, Up Dharma Down, Giniling Festival and more will perform during the Bangusan Street Party. (PNA)
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