Welcome to Seattle Center
Pagdiriwang Philippine Festival is part of the Seattle Center Festál series and produced in partnership with Filipino Cultural Heritage Society of Washington (FCHSW).
In 2022, Seattle Center Festál is celebrating 25 years of stories and traditions. The theme, "Where the World Gathers" links together the series of 24 free festivals presented throughout the year, each with a unique cultural focus, identity, and range of engaging activities.
The festival took place virtually on Saturday, June 4 (1:00pm-4:30pm) and Sunday, June 5 (1:00pm-3:30pm) on Seattle Center Facebook and YouTube. The festival commemorates the anniversary of Philippine Independence and is typically held on the first or second week of June at the Seattle Center since 1987. Over the years, the event has grown into the largest festival of Filipino arts and culture in the Pacific Northwest.
Pagdiriwang provides a venue for Filipinos and non-Filipinos alike to learn about the culture. It is an ideal setting for presenting art, craft, song, dance, music, history, literature, and culture to promote better understanding of the Filipino cultural heritage.
OVERVIEW
Seattle Center Festál presents Pagdiriwang Philippine Festival in partnership with the Filipino Cultural Heritage Society of Washington (FCHSW). The festival celebrates Philippine culture, arts, and history through food, exhibits, performing arts, fashion show, martial arts, and more.
HISTORY
The Filipino Cultural Heritage Society of Washington (FCHSW) is a non-profit organization staffed entirely by volunteers. It is committed to nurturing and proudly expressing the finest and all that is beautiful and enduring in the Filipino culture. Its primary objective is to perpetuate, educate and share Filipino culture and heritage with the people of Washington through music, dance, arts, history, literature, and crafts.
The FCHSW logo is a stylized symbolic rendering of the Sarimanok, one of the greatest mythical symbols in Philippine folk culture. In the southern Philippines, only royalty can use the Sarimanok in their banners or family emblems. The Sarimanok symbolizes prestige, wealth and honor.
In 1987, FCHSW presented its first festival at the Seattle Center. It was a showcase of Filipino culture timed to coincide with the celebration of Philippine Independence.
In 1997, Pagdiriwang became one of five ethnic festivals to join Festál, a series of events celebrating the city's various cultures.
In 1998, the festival and worldwide Filipinos celebrated the 100th Anniversary of the Declaration of Philippine Independence.
In 2011, the festival reached a milestone of 25 years.
Since its first festival in 1987, Pagdiriwang Philippine Festival has continuously been held at the Seattle Center.
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