Oops. I completely forgot to tell you guys that yesterday was Filipino Independence Day. Well, in case you feel bad for missing out on all the Filipino festivities in Dallas, lucky for you there hasn’t really been any big DFW celebrations yet. But this Ssaturday, the Deep Ellum Outdoor Market is hosting a Filipino Fest from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the 2800 Block of Main Street. Once again, Deep Ellum is blocking off part of the street for a cool outdoor party, and hopefully it won’t piss off any restaurant owners this time.
But DEOM’s Director Brandon Castillo, a Filipino-American, feels certain that the festival is going to bring more traffic to Main Street, which could then trickle into more business for Main Street’s stores. Castillo partnered up with Zen Bistro‘s Chonney Richie (also of Filipino descent) to spearhead this celebration of Filipino art, music, and food, hoping to draw out some of the 30,000 Filipinos that live in the DFW area.
The event promises live music by Filipino artists like the Backwater Opera, June Marleezy, and the Tony Q Project. There’s also going to be a Filipino Cuisine Competition with four different categories people can enter: appetizer, entree, dessert, and cuisine. If you’re not sure what kind of food to expect, here’s what Castillo has to say about dishes from the Philippines:
