The 18th Panagbenga Festival 2013

The 18th Panagbenga Festival 2013 with the theme “A Blooming Odyssey”.

Panagbenga Festival officially opens on February 1 with a Grand Opening Parade from Panagbenga Park to Athletic Bowl.

The first day of Panagbenga will set the festive mood as the month-long celebration starts. The highlight of the event will happen on February 23 and 24. This year, the theme of Panagbenga 2013 is “A Blooming Odyssey”. It will be a celebration not only of the season of blooming, but also of the progressive economy and prosperity of the City of Pines.

Here is the schedule of the Panagbenga Festival:

It’s time, once again, to dance on the streets of Baguio! Here's the detail and schedule : 

February 1, 2013 

Grand Opening Parade
Drum and Lyre Dance Competition (Elementary Division)
Panagbenga Park to Athletic Bowl

February 1 - March 3, 2013
Market Encounter & Landscaping Competition
Burnham Park

February 10, 2013
Let A Thousand Flowers Bloom
Melvin Jones

February 10, 2013
Handog ng Panagbenga sa Pamilya Baguio
Burnham Park

February 10, 2013
Fluvial Float Parade
Burnham Lake

February 23, 2013
Grand Street Dancing Parade
Panagbenga Park to Athletic Bowl

February 24, 2013
Grand Float Parade
Panagbenga Park to Athletic Bowl

February 25 - March 3, 2013
Session Road in Bloom
Panagbenga Park to Athletic Bowl

March 4, 2013
Closing Ceremonies
Athletic Bowl

How to get there:

The trip to Baguio from Manila is a breeze with the hourly service bus stations offer to passengers. It is a 5-7 hour trip by bus and may cost 450-715 pesos per person. If you are traveling by car, take the NLEX (North Luzon Expressway) to Clark and then exit at SCTEX (Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway) up north, then take the exit to Tarlac City, Tarlac to La union. Then a choice of the historic Marcos Highway or the steep Kennon road, where you can catch a glimpse of the famous Lion’s head, to Baguio. Its a 6 hour drive and the roads are steep so make sure your car is in good condition.

It will run until March 3, 2013. Local and foreign tourists will troop to this city to watch such events as "Let a Thousand Flowers Bloom," "Bloom, Baguio Bloom!" and "Handog ng Panagbenga sa Pamilya Baguio." There will be a Mr. Muscle Showdown, a Northern Luzon Real Estate Exposition, a Bombo Radyo Concert, a grand street dancing parade, and a grand float parade.

Panagbenga, a Kankanaey term, means "a season of blossoming." The Festival of Panagbenga was conceived in 1995 to dramatize Baguio's reconstruction after the July 16, 1990 earthquake. Over time, the term became a tribute to the beautiful flowers that abundantly thrive in the city. The Festival's main focus, since its inception has been "to highlight the best of what the city can offer."

It is a tale of a city endowed with resiliency to bounce back from the ruins caused by the earthquake. It is a story of a people gifted with unique talent, and ingenuity, who value their roots and their rich cultural heritage.