One of Baguio’s most popular yearly events is the Panagbenga (Season of Blooming) Festival. A month-long tribute to the beautiful flowers found in Baguio, the Panagbenga Festival features different activities – such as float parades, street dances, concerts, celebrity appearances – to allure locals and tourists alike.
If you are visiting Baguio for this colorful festival, here are a few tips to help you enjoy and properly appreciate the flowers:
Clothing
Baguio City is known for its cool climate. Temperature levels can actually drop there. Thus, bringing a jacket is a must. If needed, opt to bring mittens or gloves. These will not only help on keeping you warm, it’ll help you when you need to go through a sea of people (which you’ll probably need to know by now – the Panagbenga Festival is a well-attended event). Also, wear comfortable footwear. Heels or leather shoes are a big no-no on the streets.
Also, for your security, keep all of your important personal belongings – such as wallet, IDs, cellular phones – in a safe place. You may want to use a belt bag, for easy access and convenience of keeping both of your arms free. With the expected heavy volume of people attending the Panagbenga Festival, criminal activity is to be expected as well.
Eat
Before actually attending the Panagbenga Festival, make sure that you’ve had a heavy meal. There’s no telling if you’ll actually see a store, and you’ll need all the energy you can muster walking and watching with the crowd. If you think you need it, bring a snack along with you.
Walk
Yes, you’ll be walking. So are the several hundred of people with you. So don’t bother flagging down a cab. With the tons of people in the street, it’ll be useless riding one. Remember, only by walking can you see some of the best floats and dances in the Panagbenga Festival. Plus, it’s good exercise!
Smile
Remember to smile. You’ll probably be doing that once you hit the streets. You’ll enjoy the dozens of colorful flowers swaying in front of you, the elegant dancers in a multitude of colors, and the wondrous floats parading down the street.
And there’s no need to be shy at the Panagbenga Festival. Join in the dance if you feel like it. There’s no other place like being able to face flowers and dance with them!
The Panagbenga Festival is guaranteed to bring wondrous memories for its attendees. But by careful planning, you can double your fun in it. Have fun and wave with flowers!