Cooking demonstrations and food sampling will be highlights of the 10th annual Pasko sa FilCom, or Christmas at FilCom in Waipahu.
Volunteers will demonstrate preparation of traditional Filipino Christmas desserts, said Donnie Juan, executive director of FilCom Center. This includes making puto bumbong, which is often served with sweetened, shredded coconut, as well as the pounding of sticky rice to make dishes such as bibingka, he said.
PASKO SA FILCOM
When: Sunday, 3 to 7 p.m.
Where: 94-428 Mokuola St., Waipahu
Cost: Free
Info:
filcom.org, 680-0451
“The whole event is run by volunteers,” Juan said. “We depend on our community organizations who know the traditions.”
Best yet, festival attendees will be able to sample the desserts for free.
The biggest drama of the day could revolve around the choral competition, as three-time winner Melemai Kapu‘uwaimai will compete again. Will the group make it four in row?
“It’s a big draw,” Juan said of the competition, the top prize for which is $400.
Those with an artistic bent already have been busy working on their tabletop Christmas trees for another competition, with entries to be dropped off Saturday afternoon for judging. Prizes for the winning tabletop trees top out at $250, with each of the cash prizes provided by a FilCom Center donor.
Another competition calling for crafty flair is the parol-making contest. A parol is a star-shaped Christmas lantern that is traditional in the Philippines. It is often hung or carried atop a pole.
The three winning parol entries will win cash prizes, with the first-place winner to receive $300.
In each of the crafting contests, the top three entries will become the property of FilCom Center. That and other rules for the contests can be found on the FilCom Center website.
The Krismas Karaoke Contest is open to anyone, though only the first 10 to sign up on the day of the event will be offered the chance to compete. Cash prizes of up to $200 are provided by FilCom donors including contest sponsor Coro Filipino.
“All the contests really draw a crowd,” Juan said, “and for the kids’ games … they’ll see some Christmas games they have in the Philippines,” such as pabitin, a game in which prizes are attached to a sort of grid and players try to grab a prize while the grid is raised and lowered with a rope.
A martial arts demonstration will again be part of this year’s event. And the University of Hawaii-Manoa College Fair takes place from 3 to 5 p.m.
