The Bacolod Yuhum Foundation Inc., an organizer of the 2023 MassKara Festival, will open one of the major festival sites at the Bacolod Public Plaza on Saturday, October 7.
The Bacolod Public Plaza will be festooned with festival lights as sectoral groups march with torches and trikes adorned with lights on the opening night of the “MassKarapatdapat sa Plaza” at 6 p.m.
The opening ceremony will be led by Mayor Afredo Benitez along with First Lady Nikki Benitez, and the members of the City Council.
Christopher Mallo, site coordinator of the festival, said in a statement that they have lined-up several nightly activities that will entertain visitors for 16 days, starting off with the “Bida ng Bacolod,” a talent competition to search for the best performer or performers in the City of Smiles on October 8.
He said contestants will perform either in solo acts or in groups with a maximum of five members, showcasing skills in singing, dancing, impersonation, juggling, lip-synching, stand-up comics, and magic tricks, with the grand finals slated for October 15.
On the same day, a Zumba dance fest entitled RetroDance MassKara will also be held from 3 to 6 p.m. with enthusiasts expected to come in groups, donning their best retro-inspired costumes.
Other highlighted activities in the Public Plaza include the MassKara Dog Fashion Show on October 14 at 4 p.m. and the MassKahariang Sektor, an advocacy-based pageantry in search of the king and queen among sectoral groups.
On October 17, a Medical Mission for Senior Citizens, spearheaded by Dr. Louie Jimenea, will be held at 4 p.m. and it will be followed by Drags and Divas, an LGBTQ event showcasing their talents in drag impersonation.
"Bringing back the famous Mardi Gras Samba Dance Competition will be the highlight on October 18, where groups of four or five performers will compete against each other and where individuals dressed in colorful festival attire will go around the plaza dancing to samba,” Mallo said.
He said on October 20, another dance showdown sponsored by Bombo Radyo will take place, while October 22 will end with a big bang with Kapuso stars Pokwang, Kuya Kim and Jason Gainza gracing the closing night.*