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Thousands join Pistahan Parade and Festival in San Francisco

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Rommel Conclara | TFC News San Francisco

<figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qkOA1svDSj0?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>Thousands recently trooped to Downtown San Francisco for the 30th edition of the Pistahan Parade and Festival.Included in the parade were elected leaders, non-profit organizations, and various members of the Filipino-American community in the Bay Area.&quot;The theme is celebrating our legacy and empowering our future,&quot; said Al Perez, president of the Filipino American Arts Exposition. &quot;It means we want to acknowledge all the folks who came before us.”The end of the parade route led directly into the Yerba Buena Gardens where the main festivities took place.Filipino vendors served a wide array of products during the two-day festival, from food to clothing.Attendees were also treated to free cultural performances.Filipino-Australian singer Ylona Garcia headlined the MYV TV Hour.Garcia first came on the scene as a teen stand out on &quot;Pinoy Big Brother: 737&quot; and continues to entertain her Filipino fans all over the world.&quot;Any time I get offers to support a festival for anything in regards to the Filipino community, I&#x27;m always down for it,&quot; she said. &quot;Because, one; I&#x27;m Filipino and two, our events are always fun.&quot;Garcia is now a recording artist for 88 Rising and is making music in Los Angeles.She added: &quot;I have an upcoming single that&#x27;s going to be put out sometime in September. It&#x27;s a song that talks about my journey. So I&#x27;m really, really excited for that one.&quot;The Pistahan continues to welcome back attendees following the coronavirus pandemic, and despite the rise of Asian hate crimes in San Francisco.Perez said that events like these bring the FilAm community and other San Franciscans together in a positive way.&quot;This is a tradition,&quot; he added. &quot;This is a time for our community to come together and to have this conversation: How are we going to help solve problems in the city?”

Thousands trooped to Downtown San Francisco for the 30th Pistahan Parade and Festival.