| The Single Parent Talks

Thousand Flowers Start to Bloom in Baguio

January19

In just a few weeks Baguio’s Panagbenga festival will be up again. I just realized that this activity had been celebrated for more than ten years: this is the 14th time that the city will be doing this flowerfest activity. I just hope that this festivity gets more exciting than last year’s celebration.

photo credit: †whiteknight†

Grand Street Dancing and Float Parade

I remember the time when I skipped class just to watch the very first parade of flowers. At that time, the parade was small. I saw a mix of floats and street dancers. What really attracted me are those marching bands: they don’t just walk or march and play out their instruments to make music – they also dance to their beat!

photo credit: impious

Session Road in Bloom

After that lovely parade Session Road is closed to all vehicles. Food, plant and decor stalls are put up in the middle of the road. People are walking right in the middle of the road. Loud music can also be heard at the middle of the road.A live performing band also performs at night at the top of that main thoroughfare. This lasts for a week, usually at the end of February and the beginning of March.

photo credit: impious

Schedule of Activities

I got the schedule here from the Baguio’s leading local newspaper (Baguio Midland Courier, January 18, 2009 issue):

February 1 – Opening ceremonies with field demonstration and evening concert at the Melvin Jones
February 1 to 8 – market encounter and landscaping contest at Burnham Park
February 14 – fluvial parade at the Burnham Lake, mosaic painting activity of the “Baguio in Bloom” at the Melvin Jones
February 22 – “Let a Thousand Flowers Bloom”
February 23 to 25 – “Legarda Rocks”
February 26 to 28 – “Abanao Nights”
February 28, morning – Grand Street Dancing Parade and field demonstration
March 1 – Grand Float Parade from Session Road to Athletic Bowl
March 2 to 8 – Session Road in Bloom featuring flower inspired products
March 5 and 6 – Gymkhana (Pony boys’ event) at Melvin Jones
March 8 – Closing ceremonies at the Baguio Athletic Bowl

The highlighted activities above are the most fun-filled. Unless you want to stay in the city for a whole month of celebration, those highlighted activities are the ones that you might want to visit. Bring along a bonnet, thick jacket, muffler, mittens and a pair of socks with your outfit, since the weather has been quite colder than usual recently. The cold season is not over yet at those dates. I guess you’ve heard the news about Baguio hitting down the lowest temperature at 7.5 degrees (and Benguet temperature even dropping lower at 6 degrees).