16th Annual Pistahan Parade Hits Market Street

on Saturday August 8
Event is part of two-day festival highlighting Filipino arts,
culture and cuisine

SAN FRANCISCO - Giant, colorful and vibrant Filipino themed floats will make their way down Market St. on Saturday Aug. 8, as part of the largest Filipino parade on the West Coast. This dazzling display of Filipino culture and pride will also feature dance troupes, bands, and lively contingents. Opening ceremonies begin at 10 a.m. on Beale Street and will feature cultural performances, a ribbon cutting, and balloon release, followed by the parade at 11 a.m. which begins at Beale Street, marches down Market St. will make a left on 4th St., left on Folsom Street and end on 3rd St. A special judging area for Best Choreography, Best Costume, Best Spectacle and Best Spirit will be located on Market and New Montgomery. The public is invited to come watch this free and fun event.

The parade is part of the Pistahan Parade and Festival, the largest festival of Filipino Americans in northern California which annually features the the popular Adobo Cook-off and balut eating contests, delectable Filipino cuisine and desserts, cultural exhibits, and the 2nd annual San Francisco Filipino American Jazz Festival.

Organizers invite the ommunity to participate in the parade by organizing their own contingent. To obtain a parade form: Pistahan Parade
For more information contact: Gerard Talampas at (415) 218-5664, GerardTalampas@gmail.com or Richelle Mae Ruiz: (415) 260-4380, richelle.ruiz@gmail.com.
The FREE two-day Pistahan Parade and Festival takes place Aug. 8 and 9 is expected to draw over 50,000 people. There are over 400,000 Filipino-Americans in the Bay Area, the second largest Asian American group in northern California.

16th Annual Pistahan Parade:

WHEN:
Saturday Aug. 8, 2009

10:00 am - Opening Ceremonies, Beale Street @ Market Street

11:00 am - The Parade begins on Beale Street, goes down Market Street, makes a left on 4th Street, another left turn on Folsom Street, ends at 3rd Street.

INFORMATION:
Gerard Talampas: (415) 218-5664 or GerardTalampas@gmail.com
Richelle Mae Ruiz: (415) 260-4380 or richelle.ruiz@gmail.com
http://pistahan.net/

About the Pistahan Parade and Festival
The Pistahan Parade and Festival was founded in 1994 and has been consistently held in the oval gardens of the Yerba Buena Center. The Filipino American Arts Exposition, an all-volunteer nonprofit organization that contributes to the artistic and cultural pride of the Filipino community, organizes the annual event.
http://pistahan.net/