Filipino Heritage Month celebration starts Sunday with food, music & community fest

Since 2021, the Lone Star Palengke has marked a celebration of the growing Filipino American community across North Texas. The all-day festival will feature more than 100 vendors, local restaurants, cultural exhibits, community organizations, live entertainment, and family-friendly activities. The event begins at noon and is expected to draw large crowds. Organizers said more than 10,000 people attended last year s festival. Palengke is the Tagalog word for marketplace, and event organizers say the festival serves as both a cultural gathering and an opportunity to spotlight Filipino-owned businesses, artists, and organizations throughout the Metroplex. Our Filipino Market embodies the spirit of what our Filipino American community in DFW is and will become, PACE said in a statement. We are here to celebrate our history, provide visibility for our organizations and businesses, and create a long-lasting legacy. This year, the festival will also include the Kapwa Concert, featuring North Texas performers and musicians. Food is expected to be one of the festival s biggest draws. Organizers are encouraging visitors to come hungry, with Filipino restaurants, food vendors, and small businesses from across North Texas participating in the event. PACE DFW says the festival has continued to grow alongside the region s Filipino population. According to the organization, North Texas is home to an estimated 80,000 Filipinos. Beyond the celebration, organizers also hope the event raises awareness of a larger goal of creating a permanent Filipino community center and Filipino Town in North Texas. PACE DFW leaders say the region currently lacks a dedicated cultural center for the Filipino community, unlike some other Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. The proposed center would provide a permanent home for educational and cultural programming that PACE currently offers through events and outreach efforts throughout the year. Organizers envision a facility that could host Tagalog language classes, cooking workshops, health resources, voter registration drives, immigration assistance, and other community services. The nonprofit is raising funds for the project. While general admission to Sunday s festival is free, attendees have the option to make donations supporting the community center initiative. This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.