Masskara Festival - Bacolod City, The City of Smile

One of my joy trips is a very memorable– experiencing the Masskara Festival! Year 2009 I went to the City of Smile, the most festival in Bacolod City, capital city of Negros Occidental.

The City of Smiles, the Bacolod, is proud of their culture as being strong willed with a warm heart and sweet. Joyful Bacolod people from all walks of life trooping the streets in the celebration the festivities. Tourists, local and foreigners were everywhere in the streets to witness the colorful events.

You’ll see colorful – masked dancers in the street dance competition, with beautiful design mask and colorful costumes. They call this mardi-gras parade. The street dance competition was held October 16 and 17, 2009 along the streets of Araneta going to the Plaza where the finale performance was held.

We went to the San Sebastian Cathedral, just across the Plaza. Festivities are really great with food fairs, mask-making contests, brass band competitions. Well known celebrities join festivities programs. There are drinking and eating contests and many trade fairs and exhibits.

San Sebastian Cathedral

Yearly Masskara festival is celebrated every third weekend of October because , it was October 19 was the city’s charter inauguration anniversary.

This beautiful place, Bacolod, also boasts of antique houses, old churches that dates back during the Spanish time and other cultural sites. It’s really a joyful to see shops with their great products especially arts, colorful masks and paintings and many more.

 

I was really happy then, being in a wonderful beautiful place - Bacolod, the City of Smile. :)