Parol festival, parade and gallery in San Francisco

By: 10 years ago

Parol Gallery in San Francisco. CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS

SAN FRANCISCO – This is the time of year when you count the stars. Not stars in the dark sky or Hollywood, but parol or Filipino Christmas stars.

In the Philippines it is a long-held tradition for Filipinos to make parol lanterns and holiday decor to adorn their houses, town plazas, churches and malls. The parol lantern is the Filipinos’ gift to the world. It is the Filipino way of expressing “Maligayang Pasko.”

Parol parade at the starting line.

In San Francisco an annual Parol Lantern Festival and Parade is held every second Saturday of December. The Parol Festival is now one of the much awaited and must-see events in San Francisco during the holiday season.

This year it will be on Saturday, December 13, from 5 to 9 p.m., a family-oriented, fun-filled evening of music, games and prizes with the brightly lit and colorful parol lanterns. The theme of the 12^th Parol Festival is “Community Legacy–Pamana sa Komunidad.”

There will be entertainment and a Parol Gallery at the Jessie Square starting at 5 p.m. The Parol Parade starts at 6:15 p.m. at the Yerba Buena Gardens, and goes to Yerba Buena Lane, ending at Jessie Square.

Every year contingents are gearing up for this event for a festive stroll to display their lanterns, which are creatively made by their members and to vie for the esteemed Tala Award Grand Prize.

The Parol Gallery also features brightly lit and beautifully crafted lanterns from the City of San Fernando (Philippines) and the

Veterans Equity Center parol contingent.

parol produced by local parol artists.

The parol festival is presented by the Filipino American Development Foundation and KulArts, in partnership with the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival, MJM Management, and St. Patrick’s Parish. For more information, please contact Parol Festival at 415-348-8042, or visit www.bayanihancc.org and www.kularts.org/wp.