LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Some twenty seven activities were lined up by the municipal government for the upcoming 37th Strawberry festival from March 9-27, 2018.
Mayor Romeo Salda said that the agreed theme for this year’s celebration is “La Trinidad Strawberries Forever” which is to underscore that the famous strawberries will be in the municipality to stay.
The festival will fire off on March 9, 2018 with an ecumenical mass followed by an opening program, ribbon cutting and opening of the strawberry lane and agro-industrial fair and Battle of the Bands.
The famous Duting tan Dukto and fun run, jobs fair and public concern will be held on March 10, 2018 which will be followed by the Run for Amity and indigenous games on March 11, 2018.
Flower enthusiasts will be joining the flower arrangement competition and the Search for the Biggest and Sweetest Strawberries on March 13, 2018.
Art enthusiasts will have the chance to display their talents during the two-day art and mural competition on March 14-15, 2018 while the strawberry mass wedding will be held on March 14, 2018.
On the other hand, the pre-pageant night for the Search for Mr. and Ms. La Trinidad will be done on March 15, 2018.
On March 16, 2018, there will be a civic-military parade which will be followed by the Strawberry festival main program where Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Assistant Secretary Ana Marie Banaag will serve as the guest of honor and speaker while the traditional kikkan, owik tan tayaw and multi-cultural celebrations will be done right after the program.
On March 17, 2018, the much awaited streetdancing, drum and lyre and float competition will be done which will be followed by a Dog show and the La Trinidad Got Talent while another public concert will be done on March 18, 2018.
Local wine processors in the municipality will have the chance to showcase their produce during the Strawberry Wine Fair on March 20, 2018 while the main pageant for the Search for Mr. and Ms. La Trinidad will be done on March 21, 2018.
Balikbayans from the town’s 16 barangays will have a chance to interact with each other during the scheduled Balikbayan Day and Barangay Night scheduled on March 23, 2018 while the Dongba ni Kabajo will be held on March 24-25, 2018.
Fitness enthusiasts will have the chance to show to the public their respective forms through the Mr. La Trinidad bodybuilding competition while the closing program will follow on March 27, 2018 that will be capped with a musical concert and community bonefire.
Mayor Salda urged both residents and visitors alike to patronize the various events that were prepared for this year’s festivities so that they will be able to enjoy the simple but meaningful activities that were prepared primarily because of the desire of the government to aggressively promote strawberries as its main product.
By HENT
