Crowds gathered near Saskatoon City Hall to sample food and take in street performances at the Filipino Music & Food Street Festival on Aug. 8, 2021. (Payton Zillich/650 CKOM)

Food, music draw visitors to City Hall for celebration of Filipino culture

By Craig Silliphant Aug 8, 2021 | 9:00 PM

The Saskatchewan Filipino Music and Food Festival made its debut in Saskatoon last weekend. Vendors, musicians, and food stands filled the street in front of City Hall to celebrate Filipino culture.

Event organizer Chris Rod from The Chris Rod Show put this two-day festival together to give back to the community after Folk Fest was cancelled. With its large group of visitors and vendor booths selling out almost immediately, Rod hoped this event can become an annual celebration for years to come.

Club DJ Cris featuring JLove performing at the Filipino Music & Food Street Festival (Payton Zillich/650 CKOM)

One of the food vendors of Viva Hot Dogs (a popular treat in the Philippines), Sheena Kaiser, said the event was important for the whole community.

“(It’s) showcasing pretty much the culture and the music that we enjoy back home,” Kaiser said. “Just reminiscing everything and sharing it with everyone here in Saskatoon.”

Sunday afternoon was filled with music and local acts. DJ Cris featuring JLove from Lloydminister hit the stage. Musical performers such as FlipKidz, the Kumintang Folk Ensemble, and many more came to help entertain the masses.

The Filipino Food and Music Festival was amazing! It is running till 9pm today, just outside of Saskatoon City Hall! I enjoyed visiting and interviewing the lovely people there🥳🤩 pic.twitter.com/qvj3Pw8fnG

— Payton Zillich (@paytonnnz) August 8, 2021

Michelle Intarakosit was one of those in attendance. She said she heard about the event on Facebook and just had to see what it was all about.

“It’s really authentic here… and they really put a lot of effort into it, so I think it’s great,” Intarakosit said. “(In the future) I would bring my family and friends. I would want them to try their street food and everything… it’s something different for Saskatoon.”

Ens Toyota partnered up with Rod to sponsor the festival. Product Advisor of Ens Toyota Janice Capulong said it was important for her to help out the Filipino community.

“It’s about about helping and volunteering for the Filipino community,” Capulong said.

The festival started Saturday and ran until Sunday night.