Barrio Fiesta in Maui to be online but will include drive-by food sales

A previous Binhi at Ani Filipino Community Center food distribution drive in Maui. FACEBOOK

MAUI, Hawaii –  Binhi at Ani Filipino Community Center will hold its 52nd annual Barrio Fiesta on Oct. 2 online but will feature drive-by food sales.

The hybrid event on Oct. 2 will consist of a virtual broadcast at facebook.com/BinhiatAniFilipinoCommunityCenter between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. and drive-by food sales at the center at 780 Onehee Ave. in Kahului from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Binhi at Ani will sell a plate lunch of rice, pancit, pork adobo and pinakbet for $15. Aunty Iola Balubar’s halau, which is celebrating its 45th anniversary, will sell a bag of 12 cascaron for $10 and two empanadas (chicken or beef) for $15.

Applications are being accepted now for special contests. The “Any Kine Sisig Challenge,” sponsored by Tante’s Island Cuisine, is accepting applications through today.

Applications for the “Do the Sungka!” challenge, sponsored by Johnstone Supply Maui, are due Friday.

Taping for the two events will be done on Saturday.

Applications are also being accepted for “The Barrio Fiesta Voice”sponsored by the Law Offices of Alfredo Evangelista. To enter, a three-minute video in MP4 format must be submitted by 5 p.m. Sept. 27.

All entries for the three contests must be emailed to [email protected].

“The COVID-19 pandemic forced Binhi at Ani to postpone the Barrio Fiesta from May to September again but with the delta variant, large gatherings are prohibited,” said Melen Magbual Agcolicol, president of Binhi at Ani.

“We decided to hold a virtual Barrio Fiesta in October — during Filipino-American History Month — and add a drive-by food component to fundraise for the center. We’ve had no substantial revenues since last year and we need help to continue to be able to help others.”

Agcolicol also thanked lead sponsor Bayer Crop Science Hawaii and other sponsors and advertisers.

The event will be hosted by Chelsea Guzman, who reigned as Miss Barrio Fiesta 2011, Miss Hawaii Filipina 2015 and Miss Maui USA 2021.

“It’s important to continue to preserve our Filipino culture,” said Nora Takushi-Cabanilla, chairperson of the Barrio Fiesta committee.

“The Barrio Fiesta is the longest-running Filipino fiesta in the United States and we are proud to have it here on Maui. We can’t let a pandemic prevent us from continuing to share our culture with all of Maui and to be with our friends, even though it’s done virtually.”