MANIC Nightnings Production (MNP), the event organizing team behind the recent Kaondayawan, is set to launch another food festival at Palma Gil St. which will be called KaanDabaw, in partnership with the Davao City Government.
Kaondayawan was a food festival organized as a part of the Kadayawan Festival 2017 where different food booths had been displayed at Palma Gil St. for three days.
According to Kat Dalisay, MNP founder, the tenants reported to gain sales in one night equal to the sales they make for three nights in Weekend Night Market at SM Lanang grounds.
Following the success of the festival, Dalisay said the City Government plans to establish a similar festival every first weekend of the month starting on October. Although on October, they are to start on the second weekend but the months after that will consistently showcase the food market during the first weekend.
Palma Gil St., specifically the road fronting Pasalubong Center, will be closed from 3 p.m. to 12 midnight for three days – Friday to Sunday.
Dalisay said they are targeting foot traffic of 100,000 to 200,000 every day.
On Fridays, she planned that the food festival would be transformed into an acoustic district wherein Davao-based acoustic bands and artists are going to perform.
Saturdays will be tagged as Flex and Bass wherein different house music will be played. On Sundays, it will be open to different Davao music artists regardless of their musical genre. Dalisay said this KaanDabaw does not only promote food establishments in the city but as well as the local music industry.
“Its aim is to be internationally known like the night markets in Bangkok and Singapore. At least 70 tenants will also be invited, whether big establishments or not, or those that are just starting up primarily to sell food and to showcase the taste and their skills,” Dalisay said.
She also said it has been noted by a Singaporean chef who visited Kaondayawan that the food festival was very diverse and does not only showcase Filipino food, but there were Japanese, Korean, and American food.
“Davao’s taste buds are already ready to go global. There are also a number of chefs here in Davao City already. If before, the era is nursing, now it’s the chef’s. It’s very exciting for Davao. I think if the food industry of a city is booming, it will be a very big boost for tourism,” she said.