Second annual Barrio Fiesta at Saint Martin’s to honor
Filipino traditions
March 23, 2011
LACEY, WASHINGTON — In the tradition of barrio fiestas in the
Philippines, Saint Martin’s University invites friends,
neighbors and community members to share in the celebration of
its second annual Barrio Fiesta on Friday, April 15, 2011. The
fiesta will be held at the University’s Marcus Pavilion. Doors
open at 5 p.m. Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the door,
and $7 for Saint Martin’s students.
Sponsored by the University’s Filipino Heritage Club, the
event was established last year to showcase Filipino culture and
traditions.
“‘Barrio fiesta’ translates as ‘neighborhood party’,” says
Bianca Galam, the club’s president. “In the Philippines, people
love to gather together to enjoy these festivals that celebrate
anything from weddings to holidays. No matter who you are or
where you come from, everyone is welcome as a guest and active
participant.”
This year’s theme, Balikbayan, is a reference to “the return
to one’s country,” explains Galam. A balikbayan is a box that
contains small gifts and items, sent home to the Philippines by
a friend or family member abroad.
Club members will share their Filipino heritage through song,
dance and a dinner featuring a traditional menu. The menu will
include lechon (whole roasted pig), vegetable lumpia, chicken
adobo, pancit, steamed rice and desserts.
Saint Martin’s University is an independent four-year,
Catholic, coeducational university located on a 380-acre wooded
campus in Lacey, Washington. Established in 1895 by the Catholic
Order of Saint Benedict, the University is one of 18 Benedictine
colleges and universities in the United States and Canada, and
the only one west of the Rocky Mountains. Saint Martin’s
University prepares students for successful lives through its 21
majors and six graduate programs spanning the liberal arts,
business, education and engineering. Saint Martin’s welcomes
1,250 students from many ethnic and religious backgrounds to its
main campus, and 650 more to its extension campuses located at
Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Everett College, Centralia College,
and Tacoma Community College.
To purchase advance tickets or for further information:
Filipino Heritage Club
360-486-8028
smufhc@gmail.com
www.stmartin.edu