Largest Filipino Cultural Festival Comes to Seattle Center, 6/2-3

Transform your cultural awareness at Seattle Center Festál: Pagdiriwang Philippine Festival, Saturday and Sunday, June 2-3 at Seattle Center Armory, Mural Amphitheatre and Center grounds. Philippine Consulate General and Philippine Tourism Director keynotes the festival's opening ceremony to kick-off the variety of activities and demonstrations rooted in the theme of "Salinlahi", also known as "generation."

Pagdiriwang, which commemorates the anniversary of Philippine independence, has grown into the largest festival of Filipino arts and culture in the Pacific Northwest. Activities include:

- Dance performances by groups of all ages, featuring the indigenous Lumad tribes of Southern Philippines, as well as interactive dance activities such as Tinikling

- Photography, visual art, artifacts, historical, and culinary art exhibits

- Readings of plays and poetry

- Filipino martial arts demonstration

- Cooking demonstrations, Philippine coffee tasting and food booths

- Tribal tattoo lecture and demonstration

- Lecture on Baybayin form of writing

- Children's hands-on activities, such as, yo-yo and sungka (a Filipino table game)

For full event details visit: festalpagdiriwang.com

Seattle Center Festál brings to light the culturally rich communities who shape the character of our region. Although the series began in 1997, its origins stretch back to when ethnic communities were planting their roots here. For many of them, Seattle Center served as a central place, where they could invite the public to join in their unique cultural expression. Some festivals were formed in response to wars or ethnic displacement and others to unite their communities, educate the public and dispel stereotypes. Now at 21 years, Festál producers are seeking to sustain their festivals with compelling programming that appeals to multiple generations.

Seattle Center Festál is a public program presented by Seattle Center in partnership with the Filipino Cultural Heritage Society of Washington. Admission is free-of-charge. For more information on Pagdiriwang Festival, visit festalpagdiriwang.com and to learn more about this collection of ethnic cultural events and other Seattle Center public programming, visit www.seattlecenter.com or call 206-684-7200.

About Seattle Center Festál

This illuminating series of 23 ethnic cultural festivals on weekends throughout the year seeks to connect people in ways that build understanding, dispel stereotypes and generate pride among the generations who participate in these shared experiences. Seattle Center Festál is produced with the generous support of KUOW 94.9 Public Radio, Coca-Cola, Alaska Airlines, T-Mobile, 4Culture. the City of Seattle and Seattle Center Foundation.

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