Pasko in America Attracts Over 10,000 Fil-Ams, 60,000 Visitors at American Dream
By Dennis Clemente
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ--Pasko in America, the first-ever Filipino Christmas festival organized by Fiesta in America on December 16, was a resounding success. With over 10,000 Filipino Americans and an additional foot traffic of 60,000 holiday shoppers, the event brought together a vibrant Filipino American community at American Dream, the second-largest mall in the United States.
For comprehensive coverage of this milestone event, GMA Life TV, GMA Pinoy TV, GMA News TV International, and GMA OnDemand proudly served as media partners.
Sponsors and exhibitors were effusive in their praise for the event, citing brisk business among the more than 30 exhibitors at the inaugural Filipino Christmas event.
AARP, an interest group in the United States focusing on issues affecting those over the age of fifty with more than 38 million members found the event to be fabulous. “So much culture and what a blast! We were truly honored to participate,” said AARP’s Julia McPeters.
“We plan to participate again in August or next December,” she added.
Kateland Keene, owner of Parols of America, was particularly ecstatic about the event. She rated the event a 9 out of 10 based on the sales of her parols (lanterns).
Additional exhibitors, such as the Filipino School of New York and New Jersey headed by Venessa Manzano expressed their delight over the inclusion of a dedicated section for children's participation, featuring activities like parol making, coloring books, and various arts and crafts.
Manzano praised the event, describing it as incredibly enjoyable and a resounding success, while extending congratulations to the organizing team for their hard work.
Another exhibitor, Lynnor Bontigao, the author of "Sari-Sari Summer," said the event evoked a strong sense of nostalgia for her. She remarked that being there felt like a genuine journey to the Philippines, and she particularly admired the event's innovative concept.
Other big exhibitors included AARP, EVA Air, New York Life, Philippine Airlines, the Philippine’s Department of Tourism, Sanso, and Weee!
The all-Filipino cast of the beloved Broadway production, "Here Lies Love," truly dazzled the audience with a show-stopping performance that left the house roaring with applause. Arielle Jacobs, the lead actress of the musical, received well-deserved recognition in the form of a plaque and certificate for her outstanding contribution to cultural representation. Additionally, nine other cast members were also honored with this distinction, further celebrating their remarkable talents.
“The success of our event can be attributed to a variety of factors. These include our effective event marketing strategies, the unwavering commitment of our performers, and the remarkable efforts of our team in securing sponsors and exhibitors within a notably short timeframe,” said Fernando “Nanding” Mendez, CEO and President of Fiesta in America and Pasko in America.
Pasko in America would not have been possible without the support of its team, partners and dedicated volunteers. “We extend our heartfelt thanks to all those who contributed to making our event a resounding success,” said Mendez.
Fiesta in America is the umbrella organization of all its other events under Philippine Fiesta, Inc, a 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit organization. Fiesta in America has proudly organized vibrant Filipino events in New York and New Jersey for 26 consecutive years except for one year due to the COVID pandemic.
Fiesta in America is the second longest-running Filipino event in the US aside from being the largest Filipino indoor event in the Northeast. It immerses attendees in Philippine music and dance; local and Filipino American products; tourist attractions; Philippine real estate; investment opportunities; native cuisine as well financial, health and immigrant-tailored services.
To sustain its commitment as a free event for the Filipino community, Fiesta in America welcomes donations at https://gofund.me/0d09d1b8
For media inquiries or interview requests, please contact: Fiesta in America or Pasko in America at (212) 682-6610 or info@fiestainamerica.com. Follow and like us on https://www.instagram.com/fiestainamerica/, https://www.instagram.com/paskoinamerica/, https://www.facebook.com/fiestainamerica and https://www.facebook.com/paskoinamerica
