Publisher's Note

Publisher’s Note
It was 22 years ago when I arrived in Canada and chose Calgary, Alberta to be my home. Leaving my family and friends behind, it was a new adventure for me to be in a new country without knowing anyone. That was the time I looked for a Filipino community paper and never found any, [...]
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Page added on September 26, 2013

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GLOBALFEST 2013 LIGHTS UP THE SKIES!

GlobalFest 2013, with Pinoy Times as a sponsor, recently took place in Calgary and from all accounts it again was a success! This annual fireworks competition, combined with ethnic foods and cultural displays has now concluded 11 years of entertaining Calgarians.

Our family attended one night this year – Team USA, and the fireworks were awesome! If France, this years Champion, was even better, then they must have been spectacular! Talking to people who attended other countries’ fireworks, they said that they thoroughly enjoyed the light shows, so it really doesn’t matter which night a person attends. For the most part, Calgary lucked out and enjoyed beautiful weather for all 5 nights this year. For those of us who attend many outdoor events, each year we keep our fingers crossed that the wind, rain and hail stays away. Even Calgary’s recent flooding had an impact on GlobalFest, held at Elliston Park on the eastside of our city.

Before the fireworks commenced every evening, visitors had time to view performances on the 3 Stages, shop the Night Market, tour the Cultural Pavilions and visit the many Vendors throughout the grounds.

The Philippines was a disappointment as far as stage performances, limited to just two short, yet entertaining University of Calgary Filipino Students Association numbers. On the other hand, Filipinos were well represented as Volunteers as well as spectators. It is always fun to see, and be seen, a Filipino tradition, and the social part of this event was a huge success!

Ms. Irene Macaraeg, Coordinator of the “Philippines-Pearl of the Orient” Pavilion, must be commended for having the forethought to recognize that each year the Philippine Pavilion needs to be closely assessed and changes made. All visitors to annual events easily get tired of seeing the same thing year after year and Irene is obviously aware of that. Although she didn’t have Manny Pacquiao at their Pavilion this year, she did have many beautiful Filipinas Hosting it.

Of course some good things don’t have to change to be attractive – such as the always reliable and delicious foods served up by IHAW IHAW. Now becoming a tradition for GlobalFest goers, young and old, Filipino or other, the popularity of their foods means lineups. For Filipinos seeking their tasty delicacies however, that’s not a problem! The lineup always becomes a social gathering anyway!

The GlobalFest organizers need to look at the so called “Night Market” and make some attempt for it to either grow or become something to look forward to. Now, I don’t expect it to rival the Hong Kong Night Market, but the same 3 or 4 Vendors every year is not going to attract crowds. Now that both the admission price and the cost of getting to Elliston Park is getting extreme, people will start to demand more for their entertainment dollars or spend them elsewhere. My wife, who generally can shop for hours at a time, spent a mere 10 minutes in this years’ Night Market before moving on!

Having said that, all in all, we will still continue to look forward to next years show! For newcomers to GlobalFest, for 2014, keep in mind that tickets are only $5 each if you get them before December 31, 2013, and then ½ price after that until June 1, 2014.

We would like to thank Connie Kriaski and Pinoy Times for their support and for allowing us to represent them at this prestigious event.

Steve

GLOBALFEST 2013 LIGHTS UP THE SKIES!

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