Bridgeview Community Centre will play host to a 10th annual Philippine Independence Day Celebration on Sunday, June 10.
Live music, dance, games, prizes and a food concession will be featured at the afternoon event, put on by Surrey Philippine Independence Day Society, or SPIDS. Admission is free at the festival, which runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 11475 126A St., Surrey.
A special attraction is a colourful “santacruzan” (“holy cross” in Spanish) parade of queens, according to Narima Dela Cruz, an organizer of the event.
Traditionally, the ritual pageant is held on the last day of the Flores de Mayo, or “flowers of May,” to honour “the finding of the True Cross by Helena of Constantinople (known as Reyna Elena) and Constantine the Great,” according to wikipedia.
The Surrey event is held to commemorate the 120th Philippine Independence Day.
SPIDS aims to “promote the Filipino culture amongst Filipino-Canadians and fellow Canadians through events and projects, and to instill in our youth not only the love of culture, custom and tradition, but the importance of sharing, caring and giving by engaging in meaningful community activities,” according to the group’s Facebook page (@SPIDSGroup).
“SPIDS (is) a group of mostly Filipino-Canadians who are residents of Surrey and nearby cities. The Society is duly registered and incorporated.”
tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
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