Filipino Heritage Month to be celebrated in Steinbach
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For the first time, Filipino Heritage Month will be celebrated in Steinbach.
“The Big Pinoy Jam: A Concert Social” will take over the Pat Porter Active Living Centre on June 13, beginning at 8 p.m.
Organizers describe it as a summer kick-off and an evening of connection honouring and celebrating Filipino heritage in the Southeast.
“Filipinos in southeast Manitoba have a long-standing history in our region,” Angelica San Juan, organizer of the event said.
She estimates that close to 5,000 people of Filipino descent call this region home.
“They are your neighbours, your customers, your fellow business owners,” she said. “It is so important that we provide a space for the Filipino community to gather and connect, but also to open our door to the wider public.”
The event commemorates the Filipino Heritage Month Act, passed by the Manitoba Legislature in June 2022. The act designates the month of June as a time to honour the role of Filipinos in the province’s social, economic and cultural fabric.
San Juan said the local event is intended to celebrate their culture but also the things they have in common with those around them.
“That’s our family, music, and a shared pride in our home,” she said. “The energy of a live band and a crowded dance floor is something that everyone understands. Whether that’s a classic English rock anthem or Filipino pop, the music is there to bring us together.”
The headliner for the celebration is YZZA Band, who will deliver a mix of English and Filipino hits from the ‘70s to the 2000s.
“Formed in 2019, the group has earned a reputation for their spirited blend of cover songs and original compositions,” a news release stated. “They have performed at major festivals including the Red River Ex, Manitoba Filipino Street Festival and Foodtrip. They have also hosted sold-out fundraising concerts for the Heart & Stroke Foundation and the Mental Health Awareness Foundation.
Tickets come with a first serving of Filipino pork sisig and cheesy nachos with a cash bar, raffle prizes and a 50/50 draw.
Tickets can be purchased individually or by the table at TheBigPinoyJam.com, or in person at CDO Oriental Store in Steinbach.