Tag Archives: Masskara Festival

masskara festival in bacolod

If there is one festival I would love to join, it would have to be the Masskara Festival, which is held in Bacolod {also know as the City of Smiles} every October 1-19 of each year. I would love to participate in the colorful festivities + just shrug my worries + cares away in the midst of all the jovial celebration. Not only that, I would also want to sample the local delicacies, especially Napoleones, pinasugbu + piaya. Back when I used to work, I have a number of friends who live in Bacolod + whenever they come back for vacation, they never forget to bring some goodies back for us to feast on. I am missing that so much!

This 31-year old festival was originally started to bring cheer to the otherwise gloomy sugar industry which is the only source of income for the Negrenses back then. The tragic sinking of passenger vessel Don Juan, where 700 Negreses perished, aggravated this further.

Masskara, which literaly translates to “a mass or multitude of smiling faces,” is a fusion of two words, mass which means many or multitude + kara, which is the Spanish term for face.

a Masskara Festival Postcard I received from one of my friends from Bacolod, showing the colorful smiling masks

A host of exciting activities are scheduled in line with the festival, including a beauty pageant, a golf tournament, concerts, fireworks display + a streetdance competition. Plus the Masskara Village was unveiled this year.

Some of the warmest + kindest people I know hails from Bacolod + am sure it will be such a treat to visit their place if only to join in all of the festivities + be surrounded by these beautiful people!

logo image from http://www.themasskarafestival.com