Ai-Ai delas Alas headlines Fil-Am festival in New Jersey

NEW JERSEY –  Philippine comedy concert queen Ai-Ai delas Alas will headline the Philippine American Friendship Community, Inc. (PAFCOM) parade and festival on Sunday, June 23 at Lincoln Park, Jersey City.

PAFCOM’s 34^th Grand Parade and Festival celebrates the Philippine’s longstanding alliance and friendship with the United States.

The all-day event will start with a short program, blessing ceremony and ribbon cutting at 11:30 a.m., followed by the Grand Parade, showcasing the vibrant and rich cultural heritage of the Philippines.

Officials from the Philippine consulate, community leaders from the tri-state area and government officials from Jersey City, Hudson County and New Jersey are expected to attend the annual festival.

The inaugural opening of this year’s Grand Parade will be at West Side Avenue and Claremont Avenue at noon, culminating at Lincoln Park. It will feature colorful floats, Filipino celebrities and artists, marching bands, members of various Fil-Am organizations, and other civic and ethnic groups.

A cultural festival showcasing Philippine culture and tradition will be held at the park. On display at the many exhibitors booths are Philippine products, crafts and businesses offering discounted goods. There will also be a food court.

PAFCOM said they anticipate thousands of attendees “who will certainly feel proud to have participated and observed the time-honored friendship between the two countries.”

PAFCOM, the biggest Fil-Am nonprofit organization in the state, is led by inspired community leaders with bold, implementable ideas and powered by legions of engaged members coming from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

“Filipinos are a dynamic presence in America – making their voices heard in the corridors of power, in the school systems, in media and entertainment, in business boardrooms and in health care,” PAFCOM said on its website.

“PAFCOM is a collaborative movement that has supported this growth and is grooming the next generation of Filipino Americans to continue the work that was started 30 years ago.”