Bacolod City will celebrate its 8th Bacoloadiat Festival on February 7-10, 2013.
Bacolaodiat is Bacolod's very own Chinese New Year Festival. It comes from a combination of 2 words, "Bacolod" from the name of the City and "Lao Diat" from the Fookien word for celebration.
Chinese New Year is celebrated with firecrackers, dragon and lion dances, gift-giving, family feasts and observed with religious rituals. Bacoloadiat of Bacolod City is celebrated with dazzling illuminated colorful giant lanterns, lighted floats, fireworks, cultural dances and Chinese food alley.
2013 is the Year of the Snake. LGUs and Bacolod City Barangays are urged to display their best snake lanterns at the Provincial Capitol Lagoon and Bacolod City New Government Center.
Bacolaodiat Festival highlights the Dazzling Dance Parade where Tsinoy (Chinese-Filipinos) organizations will welcome the Year of the Snake in a colorful parade with illuminated floats, lanterns, lions and dragons. The Chopstick Alley is a food walk and night market with booths of delicious Chinese food, arts and crafts with live band performance nightly. Cultural Show featuring Chinese songs and dances, Symphony of Lights and Sparks showcasing a musical firework. Lastly, the Lantern Dance Competition where you can witness a blend of Chinese and modern street dance competition open to all schools, barangays and towns of Negros. The dances are highlighted with the use of lanterns choreographed to various formations.
Here's the Schedule of Activities:
January 18, 2013 [venue: Robinson's Place Bacolod]
04:30pm - Opening of ABS-CBN Lantern Village
February 07, 2013 [venue: North Capitol Road]
04:00pm - Opening of Chopsticks Alley
06:00pm - Ceremonial Lighting of Lanterns
09:00pm - Symphony of Lights and Sparks
09:00pm - Live Band
February 08, 2013
03:00pm - Photography Contest
04:00pm - Chopsticks Alley [venue: North Capitol Road]
04:00pm - Dazzling Grand Parade [route: 22nd St. to South Capitol Road]
05:00pm - Lantern Street Dance Competition [route: 22nd St. to South Capitol Road]
06:00pm - Cultural Show [venue: North Capitol Road]
08:00pm - Symphony of Lights and Sparks
10:30pm - Live Band
February 09, 2013
02:00pm - Chopsticks Alley [venue: North Capitol Road]
04:00pm - Parad of Mascots [route: 22nd St. to North Capitol Road]
04:30pm - Longest Human Snake Attempt for Guinness Book of Records [route: 22nd St. to North Capitol Road]
06:00pm - Lantern Arena Dance Competition [venue: 19th St. Lacson]
07:00pm - Lantern Arena Dance Competition [venue: 16th St. Lacson]
08:00pm - Lantern Arena Dance Competition [venue: PNB Lacson]
09:00PM - Lantern Arena Dance Competition [venue: North Capitol Road / Bacolaodiat Stage]
10:00pm - Lantern Arena Dance Competition [venue: Neg. Occ. Multi-Purpose Activity Center]
10:00pm - Symphony of Lights and Sparks [venue: North Capitol Road]
10:30pm - Live Band [venue: North Capitol Road]
February 10, 2013
01:00pm - Robinsons Chinese Cuisine Culinary Contest [venue: Robinsons Place Bacolod]
03:00pm - SM Bacolaodiat Champions Night [venue: SM City Bacolod]
05:30pm - ABS-CBN Kapamilya Day [venue: New Government Center]
06:00pm - Robinsons Chinese Cultural Show and Fashion Parade [venue: Robinsons Place Bacolod]
08:30pm - Awarding of Chinese Lantern Contest [venue: New Government Center]
08:30pm - Awarding of Snake Lantern Contest (Bacolod City Brgy. Category) [venue: New Government Center]
08:30pm - Awarding of Photography Contest [venue: New Government Center]
08:30pm - Symphony of Lights and Sparks [venue: New Government Center]
10:30pm - Live Band [venue: New Government Center]
How to Get There
From Manila, you can fly to Bacolod (Php4400++, round trip, 45-55 minutes). From Bacolod-Silay Airport, you can take a shuttle (Php75-100 per head), or a cab (Php400 minimum) to take you to the City proper or your destination.
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Bacolaodiat 2012 file photos courtesy of Billy Lopue | Camera Club of Negros
source/reference: bacolaodiat.com
