October is Filipino American History Month, noting the first recorded arrival of Filipinos to the U.S. by way of California on October 18, 1587. Alameda celebrated in a big way on October 5 with the first-ever Filipino Island Festival at Alameda Point, a place where, historically, many Filipinos were stationed and worked.
The festivities, which ran from 11 a.m.to 7 p.m., centered around Filipino culture, entertainment, and food. The event hosted about 90 vendors, including Pork N Belly, Bakery Dept., Señor Sisig, and Thank Que Grill. Craft vendors included INA SOL, Wounded Healing Art, and A$TRO Clothing, to name a few. Two stages displayed a wide array of performances from DJ spinning, singing, and ukulele strumming to cooking segments. Despite temperatures in the 90s, the festival had a lively turnout with people coming from all over the Bay Area to celebrate Filipino culture.
Photos Maurice Ramirez.
Maurice Ramirez is the official photographer for the City of Alameda. Reach him at [email protected]. His photography is collected at MauriceRamirez.com. His posts are collected at AlamedaPost.com/Maurice-Ramirez. All photos are ©2024 Maurice Ramirez.
