Celebrated every 3rd Sunday of January, is Cebu's biggest and most popular festival. The feast is in honor of the Holy Image of Senyor Santo Nino de Cebu. Fiesta Senyor, as it is widely known, is the most celebrated among Cebu's festival where people converge along the routes of a grand solemn procession and partake in the gaety amidst a mardi gras parade immersed in wild colors and constant beating of drums of the 'Pit Senyor'.
Kadaugan Sa Mactan Festival (Lapu-lapu City) - April 22-27 of the year
A week-lomg commemoration of the historic battle of Mactan between the Spanish Conquistador Fernando Magallanes and Mactan Chieftain Lapu-lapu featuring various activities highlighted by the series of musical productions culminating with the famous battle, food street and live band entertainment.
Tostado Festival (Santander, Cebu) - 3rd Sunday of April
The festival focuses on the town’s famous delicacy the ‘tostado’. The street dancing which is the highlight of the festivity uses the different movements of making a tostado in the dance participated in by the different barangays.
Kawayan festival (Alegria, Cebu) - 2nd of December
‘Kawayan’ is the vernacular term for bamboo and is the major source of livelihood/income in Alegria. The street dancing competition is based on the kawayan and is slated during the town’s fiesta in honor of Saint Francis Javier.
Celebrated every June 16 in commemoration of the City Charter Day Celebration. The Festival involves creative street dancing depicting the sangi (Planting) and thanksgiving of the abundant harvest and merrymaking through dancing the Kuyayang. .
The celebration is in honor of the town’s patron saint, Our Lady of Pilar and Santa Filomena. Among its highlights is the street dancing and ritual/showdown competition. ‘Bunga is a Cebuano word which means fruit in English. This festival is a form of thanksgiving for all the blessings and graces the Sibongahnhons have received for the abundant fruits found in their town.
Siloy Festival (Alcoy, Cebu) - last Saturday of August
The festival promotes the Mag-abo forest with its famous Black Shama or Siloy, the town’s scenic white sand beaches and dive spots and in honor of the town’s patroness Saint Rose of Lima.
Pitlagong Festival ( Argao, Cebu) - 28th of September
The Pitlagong festival of Argao is a tribute to the tradition of townsfolk faith, celebrations, food, work, livelihood, arts and crafts. Pitlagong is an instrument for cleaning the sugong (bamboo container for tuba) which is very important to the taste and quality of tuba (coconut wine). Tuba is what Rajah Humabon offered to our first Spanish visitors led by Fernando Magallanes. And was likewise offered to our ancestral Gods before becoming Christians.
Inasal (Halad), Talisay City, Cebu - 15th of October
A showcase of the city’s historical heritage and identity promoting the city as an aqua and tourist hub, through street dancing as a thanksgiving offering for the blessing received through the intercession of the city patroness’ Sta. Teresa de Avila, sports fest, parade of the great personages as higantes, food festival featuring the famous “INASAL” or lechon, Talisay’s city roast pig it being the undisputable best – golden brown, crackling crispy skin, tasty meat from secret stuffed herbs.
Dinagat Bakasi Festival ( Cordova, Cebu) - 2nd Sunday of August before the town fiesta
The festival is a unique reinvention of the dinagat festival. The exotic eel locally known as ‘bakasi’ is peculiar and abundant in Cordova. The dance replicates the gliding movement of the Bakasi. Other related activities include a Bakasi race and cooking contest to show off the man ways in preparing bakasi which is the main livelihood of the people.
Sarok Festival (Consolacion, Cebu) - 14th of February
The festival is part of the town’s commemorate of their founding anniversary. It is a mardi-gras parade & street dancing along the main thoroughfares with participants using a creative design of ‘sarok’, a native hat used by the farmers to protect from the heat of the sun. The ‘sarok’ has a circular form that correlates the essence of cooperation where every individual is working for the benefit of the whole constituency. It is one of the livelihood products of the town since 1920.
Bod-bod Festival (Catmon, Cebu) - 10th of February
The town of Catmon is famous for its tasty ‘bodbod’ and thus the focus of this festival. The street dancing competition participated by the different barangays has for its dance movements, the movement of making the bodbod with the costumes in bodbod concept.
‘Silmogi’ is an old name of the town of Borbon and the festival is in honor of its patron saint for the bountiful harvest. The street dancing which is one of the highlights is participated in by the different barangays.
Soli-Soli Festival (San Francisco, Camotes, Cebu) 18th of March
Named after the Soli-Soli plant which abounds around Lake Danao, used for mat weaving, bags, hats and other handicrafts. Its freestyle street dancing competition uses soli-soli plant as its dominant material. The festival adds color to the feast of St. Joseph the Worker.
Karansa Festival (Danao City, Cebu) - 3rd Sunday of September
Karansa is a dance expressing one’s joy and happiness performed in 4 basic steps: the kiay, karag, kurug and kurahay that jibes with the Karansa official beat. It is celebrated during the city’s annual town fiesta in honor of Sto. Tomas de Villanueva. Among the highlights is a street dancing and showdown competition with the performers dressed in colorful vibrant costumes.
Kabkaban Festival (Carcar City ) November(Sat. or Sun befroe town fiesta; No exact date yet)
The festival is not just a religious fanfare in honor of the town’s patroness, St. Catherine of Alexandria, but a cultural catalogue of the town’s historical periods and industry like shoemaking, as well as their arts that is showcased through street dancing and parade. The festival is derived from Carcar’s old name, Kabkad , a kind of fern.
In celebration of the town’s annual fiesta of Municipality of Oslob,' Toslob’ is a form of merrymaking and thanksgiving for the blessings received for the past year from the town’s patroness, the Immaculate Conception.
A showcase of the city’s historical heritage and identity promoting the city as an industrial and tourist hub, that involves the Spanish regime through street dancing, dioramas, floats, food festival, trade fair and sports event.
Palawod Festival (Municipality of Bantayan) - June 29, 2011
Palawod is the fishermen’s daily toil, their means of livelihood, their life and pride. The street dancing festival captures and preserves the unique traditional fishing rituals inherent to the island. It is the Bantayanons’ way of depicting their life through dance, music and the visual arts.
Haladaya Festival (Municipality of Daanbantayan) - August 30, 2011
Haladaya means “Halad kang Datu Daya”, the leader of the first Malayan settlers in Daan Bantayan. Highlights include fluvial parade where patron saints of the different barangays will be placed in a decorated bancas and paraded in the sea; Puto festival is a cooking competition where the community shows the heroism of Datu Daya and the celebration of victory, life and good harvest.
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