Philippine Fiesta

The Philippine Fiesta is a Filipino cultural festival and trade show held every August at the Meadowlands Exposition Center in Secaucus, New Jersey. The two-day Philippine Fiesta is one of the biggest indoor gathering of Filipino Americans in the East Coast. It features a trade pavilion with exhibitors from both the United States and the Philippines, a cultural festival with local groups and performers, and a concert featuring top artists from the Philippines. Furthermore, on the Friday night before the Philippine Fiesta weekend, a gala is held to welcome exhibitors, dignitaries, performers, Miss Philippine Fiesta Pageant finalists, and other special guests.

History

In 1996, Fernando Mendez and Milagros Mendez produced the US-Philippines Tradeshow at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York to establish an event to connect Filipino American businesses and consumers. The event was followed by the 1997 Philippine Trade Fair & Fiesta in the New York Coliseum in Manhattan. In 2001, the event was renamed as the Philippine Fiesta and moved to its new location at the Meadowlands Exposition Center. It has since been an annual event, featuring Filipino performers including Nora Aunor, Judy Ann Santos, Vilma Santos-Recto, and Gary Valenciano.