Trans Musician Jake Zyrus to Headline Long Beach Festival

Kingsley Manor is an eclectic, friendly senior living community filled with joy, diversity and acceptance. It is exactly the welcoming home I was looking for. The residents here are some of the most interesting I have ever met. People representing so many cultures and lifestyles make Kingsley their home, and I fit right in.

-resident John H.

By Enrique Guadiz

The Long Beach Filipino Festival is back for its fourth year, promising an exciting day of cultural festivities and family fun. The event will take place at Jackie Robinson Academy Field in Long Beach, California, on Saturday, May 6, 2023, from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. With two stages, dozens of community and retail vendors, food trucks, and a kid’s area, attendees can expect a diverse and entertaining day. The festival also celebrates Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.

This year’s festival has a theme of “Pista de Mayo,” which translates to May Fiesta in Tagalog. One of the highlights of the festival will be a Flores de Mayo or Santacruzan procession. This nondenominational parade, which dates back to the 1800s, traditionally has religious and historical significance. Participants are encouraged to dress up in traditional Filipino attire like barong tagalogs or

Filipiniana dresses with their family or organization.

The festival’s entertainment lineup features a diverse group of performers, including Talilo Marfil, activist and musician, Jake Zyrus, who is part of the LGBT+ community and came out as a transgender male in 2017, a capella group Filosophy, and Gingee. Musical acts include Nievera, The Magikeros, DJ Icy Ice, Jessica Loiuise Garcia, Adryanna Ducasin, Russ Coson, The Little Lyres, Synergy Girls Group, Mahaliah Nakita, Honore, and Omilani. Filipino martial arts groups Kali Kollective and Pamana Kali will also showcase their skills with demonstrations, and local Filipino dance troupes will perform traditional dances from the Philippines. Hosts for the event include Jules Graeser, Erick Esteban, Pretty Papes, and Jun Aglipay.

Overall, the Long Beach Filipino Festival promises to be a wonderful celebration of Filipino culture, music, and community.