Sam Milby and Geneva Cruz will be performing
Chefs Ron Bilaro, Joanna M. Cook and Rampelle Aguilar will be cooking
CHICAGO — One of Chicagoland’s biggest celebrations of the Philippine culture is coming back to Bolingbrook. The Piyesta Pinoy planning committee worked very hard since last year to make this year’s festival to be even bigger, more fun, more entertaining, offering more food, arts & crafts vendors and more performances including TFC artists Sam Milby and Geneva Cruz! We are now looking forward to the largest festival put together by our community, open to all, and showcasing the best that we can offer.
Celebrate Philippine Independence Day at Piyesta Pinoy sa Bolingbrook, Saturday, June 20, from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. at the Bolingbrook Village Hall and Town Center, 375 W. Braircliff Ave., Bolingbrook, IL 60440. Admission is free.
Bolingbrook mayor Roger C. Claar is scheduled to give remarks at 12:30 p.m. The Filipino American community joins the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Village of Bolingbrook.
A Parade of costumes opens the celebration at 11:00 a.m., featuring a Santacruzan-like procession we call Flores de Hunyo to be led by Bloomingdale Township Board Member Robert Tolentino as the 2015 Hermano Mayor, Vice Consul Ricarte “Butchie” Abejuela III representing the Philippine Consulate and the beauty queens Miss Illinois US Supranational 2015 Nicole Tuquilar, Dance Lovers Club Queen 2015 Chaz Patron and the 2015 beauties from the Philippine Week Committee and the Philippine Independence Week Committee.
Like last year, the festival will feature cultural music and dances to start the performances at the beautiful main stage of the Bolingbrook Performing Arts Center. The mainstays Chicago Angklung Rondalla Ensemble, the PACF Performing Arts, BIBBAK Illinois PSA UIUC Barkada and Divine Rhythm will be performing with newcomers Filipino Cultural Dance Troupe of Iowa and the Couples for Christ Carinosa dancers.
There will be several new performers this year featuring singers Kayla Tejero, David Wycoco and the Pax Minstrels, dance group The Future Kingz, the CFC House Band and returning bands SamaSama Project and Above and Beyond Band rocking until closing. There will also be new program emcees this year – Ginger Leopoldo from Circa/Pintig, Maria Girlie Pascual from Via Times and Theater actor/director Marc Rita.
This year, Piyesta Pinoy Bolingbrook is expecting to attract an even bigger crowd as we welcome The Filipino Channel as our exclusive Philippines media partner and sponsor. Fil-Am actor Sam Milby and Filipina actress/singer Geneva Cruz along with Gelo and Don Tagala will be coming to town and will be performing during the TFC hour portion of the festival. The Philippines’ ‘Rockcoustic Heartthrob’, Sam Milby is an established actor and multi-awarded singer who became very popular as a Pinoy Big Brother housemate, a singer with several sold-out concerts and Platinum albums, an actor of top-rating TV soaps (including Maging Sino Ka Man with John Lloyd Cruz, Bea Alonzo and Anne Curtis, which launched his career as a dramatic television actor), blockbuster movies and big product endorsements to his name. Geneva Cruz is an award winning actress and singer. Cruz began her career in 1989 as one of the lead singers of the popular group Smokey Mountain. She was also the very first Grand Prize winner (and the youngest) of “The Voice of Asia” in Alma-Ata, Kazakhstan, Russia in 1992. Jelo is the host/ producer/ writer of Barangay USA and Barangay USA Supershow on TFC. Don Tagala is the news reporter/videographer from ABS/CBN International and a former resident from Chicago.
New this year, Mango Rice Productions proudly presents the “ Fil-Am Chefs Cooking Exhibition” at the Piyesta Pinoy Bolingbrook. This event will feature prominent Fiipino-American chefs who will present easy-to-prepare, Filipino-inspired dishes with modern twists and presentations. The exhibitions are scheduled at 2pm,5pm, and 8pm. Members of the audience will be able to taste the chefs’ creations, get copies of recipes and free samples of food items. Featured Fil-Am chefs are Chef Ron Bilaro – host of “ Eat and Ron” , “ Oohlalam” and “ Katok Patok”, Chef Johanna M. Cook – has captured audiences as Momma Cuisine since 2009, with her mission to get families across America making Great Everyday Meals with simple ingredients and basic cooking techniques and Chef Rampelle Aguilar – a consultant for start-up businesses and behind Oxtail Filipino Inspired, the latest arrival in the Filipino food scene via pop-up events.
Join the “Split the Pot” raffle: 50% of proceeds benefit the Watts of Love and the IL-PRO League Of Volunteers for relief Expeditions. Tickets are $5 each. The other half of proceeds will go to three winners: First place, 25%, second place, 15% and third place, 10%.
There are a gamut of activities at the Cultural Tent! Learn to play the “gangsa” with BIBBAK Illinois, make a “parol” with Holy Trinity Simbang Gabi group, an arts display and exhibit from local Fil-Am artists Lea Rivera, Trisha Martin, Tita R. Brady and others, and traditional children’s games with the Filipino American Community Health Initiative of Chicago and Nueva Vizcaya Association of Chicago. The Philippine American Cultural Foundation and the Filipino American Historical Society will have arts, culture and historical artifacts on display. New this year will be video/computer games from Galloping Ghost Arcade.
Browse shirts, bags, goods and services featured at the Craft and Vendors Tent! Try out party ideas, boutiques, henna tattoos; shop for beauty, health care and pet needs from locally-owned Chicagoland and a few out-of-town businesses.
Hungry for adobo, pancit, lechon, barbecue, halo-halo, puto, Goldilocks, try a famous Philippine entree or desert served by established Chicagoland businesses such as Uni-Mart, Val’s Asian Mart, Kusinang Pinoy, Mang Juan; popular festival foods such as hot dogs, fries, polish sausage, chicken sandwich, ribs, sno-cones and lemonade from Chef Romel/Jasper Meats, Bojo’s, Chick Fill-A, Kitty’s Irish Ice and the Concession stand.
Other activities include a Philippine martial arts workshop from Eskrima, rock climbing, train ride, fire department truck, library bus, photo booth from JC Balloon Creations & Photo Booth, and a Hula dance exhibition and workshop from Hana Hou Hula!
Piyesta Pinoy sa Bolingbrook is presented by the Philippine American Cultural Foundation in partnership with the Philippine Consulate General’s office and the Village of Bolingbrook. Maraming salamat to our platinum sponsors TFC, SMDC and Three Horses Jasmine Rice, gold sponsors Signature Event Designs, Filipino American Network and Comcast/Xfinity, silver and bronze sponsors Galloping Ghost Arcade, JC Balloon Creations, Creative Imprints & Creative Impressions, Globe Telecom, LBC, Mark Tan, Max Madsen Mitsubishi, Global Cargo Movers, Real Auto Haus and Yum Cha. Special thanks go to our media sponsors – Bolingbrook Bugle, Via Times / CPR TV, Mega Scenes, One Philippines and Pinoy. Many thanks as well to Mayor Roger C. Claar and the Village of Bolingbrook for use of the Performing Arts Center grounds.
Come celebrate Chicagoland’s biggest Philippine festival! For a complete listing of performers, booths, activities and sponsorship, please visit http://piyestapinoy.net.
Kitakits sa June 20 sa Piyesta Pinoy sa Bolingbrook!
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