Flores de Mayo
& Filipino Fiesta
RETURNS MAY 2027
FILIPINO COMMUNITY CENTER
OʻAHU, HAWAIʻI
The largest celebration of Filipino culture on the island of Oʻahu
Flores de Mayo & Filipino Fiesta is a full day celebrating Filipino culture and heritage with authentic food, non-stop entertainment, activities for all ages, immersive cultural experiences, and a marketplace featuring local businesses and community organizations.
The Flores de Mayo & Filipino Fiesta is a flagship project of the Filipino Community Center. The 2024-2026 events were spearheaded by the Filipino Jaycees of Honolulu in partnership with the Filipino community.
MARAMING SALAMAT TO OUR 2026 SPONSORS
2026 THEME
Rice: Where Every Grain Tells A Story
Rice symbolizes perseverance, abundance, and unity. It has sustained Filipino families and communities for generations, especially through times of hardship. Each grain carries the stories of our ancestors — and when gathered, they represent the strength we find when we come together.
This year’s theme invited everyone to connect with Filipino heritage, discover and honor the cultural meaning behind this beloved staple, and celebrate the power of community.
Throughout Fiesta, the theme came to life through cultural performances, educational activities, interactive games, and creative vendor offerings — all honoring the stories woven into every grain of rice.
Signature Experiences
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Santacruzan
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Filipiniana Market
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Cultural Village
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Kabataang Barangay
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Ligaya’s Sari-Sari Store
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Balut Eating Contest
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Street Food Experience
New Signature Experiences in 2026
Street Food Experience:
Sarap ng Sawsawan
Sarap ng Sawsawan—a celebration of bold Filipino flavors and the art of pairing through hearty rice bowls, lumpia, and a variety of sawsawan! 🍚✨
A special mahalo to Chef Rob of Mama’s Boy Foods for leading this experience, along with East West Marketing for their support, and Mama Sita’s for sponsoring the ingredients that help bring these dishes to life.
Sari Sari Store:
SurpRICE Boxes
The Sari Sari Store returned to Fiesta — but with something new! 🎉
In 2026, we launched our Sari Sari SurpRICE Boxes, packed with Filipino favorites!
2026 HEADLINER
Jake Zyrus
Jake Zyrus is an internationally acclaimed Filipino singer known for his powerhouse vocals and inspiring journey in music. Rising to global fame through viral performances and appearances on shows like The Oprah Winfrey Show and Glee, he became the first Asian solo artist to reach the Top 10 of the Billboard 200.
Today, Jake continues to connect with audiences worldwide through his music, including his newest release, the EP Roots, celebrating his growth, identity, and Filipino roots.
Previous headliners:
2025: AJ Rafael
2024: Eli-Mac
2026 Special Programming
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Experience Fiesta through a guided journey exploring our community’s heritage, traditions, and flavors rooted in rice. Led by a cultural ambassador, this 60-minute tour offers stops at the:
Rice & Roots: A Filipino Foodways Experience, an interactive cultural booth that explores how rice connects memory, identity, and community across generations
Cultural Village, highlighting regions where rice is cultivated and honored
Street Food Experience to enjoy a curated tasting of rice-based dishes and their origin stories
Perfect for those looking to experience Fiesta in a more intimate and meaningful way.
$30 per person · Limited to 7 guests per tour
Tour Times: 11:00 AM · 1:00 PM · 3:00 PM
Sign-up and payment will be available on the day of Fiesta at the Filipino Jaycees booth (E2). Space is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.
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BOOTH N1
An interactive cultural booth that explores how rice connects memory, identity, and community across generations.
Guests will engage in hands-on stations that invite them to experience rice beyond the plate through storytelling, cultural traditions, and interactive activities. From learning about Filipino rice practices to participating in playful, family-friendly rice games and reflecting on personal connections to food, this booth offers a meaningful experience for all ages.
Grounded in Filipino foodways, Rice & Roots highlights how something as simple as rice carries deep stories of migration, resilience, and home.
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An exhibition featuring fashion, talent, and dialogue to celebrate the Philippines' diverse ethnolinguistic regions through the lens of rice.
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New courtyard experience!
If you’re looking for a place to just relax, have fun, and really soak in the vibes of Fiesta, you have to check out our Tambayan Social. This is our brand-new courtyard experience designed for all ages—it’s where you go to hang out, recharge, and make memories with your friends and family.
We’ve got a little bit of everything. You can jump into our photo booth by Albert Correa Photography featuring a rice terrace backdrop, which is such a fun way to capture the theme this year. Right next to that, we’ll have henna tattoo artists (The Henna Shack) offering beautiful designs, including Filipiniana-inspired pieces that tie into the culture.
If you’re feeling thirsty, Bar Bae will be there serving up refreshing mocktails, perfect for cooling off and just enjoying the day. And of course, we can’t have a Filipino gathering without karaoke! Whether you want to sing your heart out or just cheer on your friends, it’s all part of the experience.
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Main Stage, 12:55 PM
Don’t miss our first-ever Tawag ng Entablado! This online talent competition spotlights emerging performers from our community—starting with video submissions and culminating in a live showdown at the Flores de Mayo & Filipino Fiesta. =
Catch the top 3 finalists take the stage for one last performance, where a winner will be chosen by our judges!
Pamana Sessions
Cultural Workshops
“Pamana” means legacy or inheritance in Filipino, and by participating, you’ll gain knowledge and skills you can pass on to others. This year’s free workshops, held at Hans L’Orange Park, included:
Folk Dance Workshop
Filipino Martial Arts Workshop
Dallot (Ilocano Chant) Workshop
Rice to the Challenge!
Fiesta Contests
This year’s contests included:
Balut Eating Contest
Purple Freeze Challenge
NEW: Bilao Blitz
Free Water Stations in partnership with Kōkua Hawaiʻi Foundation
We believe that every small step towards sustainability makes a significant impact. At Fiesta, we ask each vendor to avoid selling water bottles. Instead of selling plastic water bottles, we’re partnering with with Kōkua Hawaiʻi Foundation to provide free water refill stations through their Plastic Free Hawaiʻi program. Help us eliminate single-use plastics by bringing your own reusable water bottle!
Reducing Food Waste with Aloha Harvest
We’re proud to partner with Aloha Harvest to reduce food waste and support our community. Vendors have the option to donate unsold or leftover food at the end of our event, helping ensure that no good food goes to waste. Instead, these meals are redistributed to those in need across Oʻahu. Learn more about Aloha Harvest.
Follow our Instagram for the latest updates!
HOSTED BY THE FILIPINO COMMUNITY CENTER
The Flores de Mayo & Filipino Fiesta is a flagship project of the Filipino Community Center.
Sprawling over two acres by the old Oʻahu Sugar Mill in suburban Waipahu, the three-story Filipino Community Center is the biggest Filipino community center in the US and outside of the Philippines. The FilCom Center was formally inaugurated on June 11, 2002 and provides a home for businesses, a health clinic, community groups and recreational activities.
The mission of FilCom Center is to develop, own, and operate a community center that provides social, economic and education services and to promote and perpetuate Filipino culture and customs in the State of Hawaiʻi.
ORGANIZED BY THE FILIPINO JAYCEES OF HONOLULU
The Filipino Jaycees of Honolulu (FJCH) is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization of young professionals with the mission to perpetuate the local Filipino heritage and provide development opportunities that empower young active citizens to create positive change.
With a 50 year history of developing today and tomorrow's generation of leaders and changemakers in Hawaiʻi, members of the Filipino Jaycees have been key in helping establish Oʻahu’s Annual Filipino Fiesta, the Filipino Community Center, and the Miss Sampaguita Hawaiʻi Pageants. Prominent projects also include Save a Bottle Save a Life, Night of Honor, Top Outstanding Young Filipinos, the Luzviminda Fashion Show, Kamayan Feast, and the Filipino Cultural Summit.
Want to meet other young community-serving leaders in Hawaiʻi, grow personally and professionally, and learn more about Filipino culture?