Toronto’s ‘Pinoy Fiesta & Trade Show’ back after pandemic hiatus

A flag-raising ceremony opened a program of live musical performances by local entertainers and cultural dances highlighting the beauty and elegance of Philippine inspired designs. FACEBOOK

Toronto’s Pinoy Fiesta and Trade Show came back “in-person” on June 12 at Albert Campbell Square, outside the Scarborough Town Centre after a hiatus due to the pandemic.

Philippine Canadian Charitable Foundation held a virtual celebration last year to commemorate the fiesta’s 10th anniversary.

A flag-raising ceremony opened a program of live musical performances by local entertainers and cultural dances highlighting the beauty and elegance of Philippine inspired designs. Singers and dancers from the Josie De Leon (JDL) Performing Arts School were among the performers.

Vendors and booths sold various Filipino goods and a variety of Filipino delicacies. FV Foods, a longtime Filipino eatery in Toronto, sold popular Filipino dishes such as chicken or pork barbecue skewers, lumpia (pork spring rolls), and turon, a plantain wrapped in rice-paper and deep-fried with sugar.

The Province of Ontario declared June as Filipino Heritage Month. The Greater Toronto Area (GTA) is home to the largest Filipino community in Canada with more than 280,000 residents of Filipino descent, according to the 2016 Census.