On the weekend of 19th-20th July we were at the largest Filipino gathering in the United Kingdom – Barrio Fiesta sa London!
The event is organised by the Philippine Centre and The Filipino Channel, who are celebrating their 30th and 20th anniversaries respectively, and pulled in a show stopping line-up with breadth of Filipino celebrities, artists and talent lining the stages over the weekend.
Catering Hire London grouped with Casablanca Hire were there with our marquees and event furniture, giving place to a range of different tents, food and drinks halls and just as a place for attendees to catch their breath and escape the beating sun.
Our hire team set-up in double quick time to guarantee we were ready well before the fiesta attendees showed up on the Saturday morning. During the course of the weekend our tables and chairs were playing host to traditional games, a food fiesta for people to sample Filipino cuisine – which we found fantastic!
The fiesta is the premier event and celebration of Filipino culture in Europe, having grown in size since its first outing in Holland Park, to the point that this year’s festival at Apps Court Far, near Hampton court Palace, witnessed record crowds gathering to join the celebrations of Filipino culture.
A fiesta in the Philippines is a much-loved event for the citizens as it gives them an opportunity to celebrate all that is held dear to them, such as Filipino culture, religious faith, artistry, drama, humour and friendship. In this the Barrio Fiesta sa London embodies these principles and replicates them at the festival, ensuring these themes are underlined throughout the fiesta.
In the hot July sun the Barrio Fiesta sa London was showcasing it’s theme for this year – togetherness and partnership. The fiesta brings together Filipinos and Filipinos-at-heart people from right across the UK and neighbouring countries in Europe and beyond, and in unison they all celebrate Philippine culture, cuisine and have a fantastic time!
Alongside this aspect the fiesta is looking to help good causes with the proceeds raised from the two days. For instance they donated £3,000 to a Filipino relief programme setup up to tackle natural calamities and aid in rehabilitation projects. The money will help fund the operation of this programme and underlines the nature of the fiesta; togetherness and partnership, aiding those Filipinos who are in need back in the native Philippines.
In London that weekend, We were rubbing shoulders with some of the Philippines household names, such as Pokwang, Enchong Dee, Shaina Magayao and Gary V, of whom some were involved in a meet and greet with fans throughout the fiesta.
Catering Hire London really enjoyed the weekend were we learnt a lot about the Filipino way of life and was able to sample some traditional cuisine whilst enjoying the breadth of artists, performances and pageants the fiesta had to offer. So much so that we are looking forward to Bario Fiesta sa London’s 31st Anniversary next year…
Maraming Maraming salamat po sa inyong lahat. See you all again next year!