‘Tis the season to schedule your deserved vacation with your family and friends. And this list of activities will help you make just the right holiday itinerary.
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Yes, the holiday season is in full swing, which means it’s finally the time to schedule your weekend get-away or plan your much-needed and deserved vacation with your family and/or friends. So, while you’re picking the perfect dates for your leaves, ticking off your most ideal days to enjoy yourselves, or perhaps, stressing over which events to go to, here are some ideas to help you finish that itinerary this holiday season.
MUSIC FESTIVALS
Well, nothing beats the fun and joy of being around your barkada and family while rocking out in music festivals. The communal bliss is almost always an unforgettable experience, one that will surely be part of your year-end albums and stories. Want to enjoy some of the best OPM songs while also thrilling to some intense roller coaster ride? Salo-Salo Fest has got you covered. Hailed as the first-ever local music festival in a theme park, Salo-Salo Fest will make you revel in the greatness of your favorite local artists (Ely Buendia, Rico Blanco, Parokya ni Edgar to name a few) in Enchanted Kingdom, a place where fun seems to be unlimited.
Dubbed as the “ultimate creative destination of the year,” Klaypel Land is an arts, music, and food festival in one. Located in Clark Parade Grounds in Angeles, Pampanga, Klaypel Land features a grand collaboration with Pinoy visual artists, music from homegrown bands and musicians, interactive art installations and workshops, plus a gastronomic haven with over a hundred food choices. If you’re looking for something that appeals to all age groups, then Klaypel Land is the best place to go this holiday season.
Want a more classic experience to treat your parents to? Catch some live performances from concert king Martin Nievera, Bituin Escalante, Jackie Lou Blanco, and more in a Christmas tribute curated by the National Artist for Music, Maestro Ryan Cayabyab himself at the Paskong Pinoy Playlist Music Festival 2022. On December 3, be mesmerized by music from celebrated Filipino artists like Jose Mari Chan and Pilita Corrales at the BGC Arts Center.
Meanwhile, if your barkada is looking for a festive musical experience without spending too much, then put Rekta sa Kalye’s Circus Music Festival on your holiday itinerary. With performances from big Pinoy acts like Zack Tabudlo, December Avenue, Silent Sanctuary, and Unique Salonga among others, Circus Music Festival offers the “grandest, affordable” music festival experience that you and your friends can live out.
MANILA ZOO
After a long overdue rehabilitation, the metro’s most famous zoological garden, Manila Zoo, is back to give Filipino families their much-anticipated nature adventure. Home to about a thousand animals from 90 species, the Manila Zoo offers its revamped and modernized facilities, including its Animal Museum, Botanical Garden, and Butterfly Garden, with elevated view decks and overhauled public pathways, for its patrons to enjoy. Right at the heart of the capital, Manila Zoo serves as a convenient place for the families to spend their holidays.
ARTS
There are times when we just want to take things slow and contemplative. The pensive mood of art museums and galleries are for some just as fun and exciting as are other festive holiday events. So, if you’re looking to satisfy your creative cravings and desires this holiday season, you won’t be disappointed from the array of choices available.
There’s the two-man exhibition Escape to Reality by award-winning artists Edu Perreras and Salvador Banares at Galerie Anna where you can calm yourselves with some soul-mending and awe-inspiring creations. Or Genavee Lazaro’s sculpture display Quintessence of Contentment at Galerie Stephanie, which features anthropomorphic figures the artist fondly calls her Cactus Friends inspired by the succulent perennial plant.
Gravity Art Space in Quezon City is also holding its biggest event this year, The No Name Show. Featuring over 130 artists, the exhibition becomes a “playground and platform for masters and contemporaries to explore their art-making beyond their name or ‘brand’, in the power and privilege of anonymity.” Pintô Art Museum, a haven for contemporary art, will also mount its year-end event with Figuras 2022, spotlighting over a hundred local artists. If you want to revel in art and nature at the same time, then add Pintô into your holiday itinerary as the museum houses a botanical garden called Silangan Gardens in Antipolo, Rizal.
Arts at BGC’s BGC Art Mart is also an ideal place to connect with local artists, support local products, and enjoy live performances. With a diverse range of artistic offerings, BGC Art Mart is one of the most convenient ways to enjoy your holidays with your barkada on a creative note as it’s near the metro and it’s also free.
FIESTA CARNIVAL
After some shopping, have a fun time with your family and friends at Araneta City’s Mini Fiesta Carnival. The place has got all the things you need for the holiday season: rides and attractions, an array of food choices, and just a festive crowd and atmosphere. For just fifty pesos, you can enjoy free food and drinks, and even have a laugh with your loved ones on the carousel while enjoying some ice cream in cones.
TOYCON PH
For the kids and kids-at-heart, TOYCON PH’s Christmas Toys and Collectibles Fair promises a delightful holiday experience with over 200 booths of toys, apparel, comics, collectibles and other exciting merchandise. Now on its fifteenth year, the toy fair will, on one hand, offer you and your barkada the chance to win prizes with its cosplay event, and on the other, tempt you to spend the cash you’ve collected from your ninongs and ninangs on your favorite action figures. Or, you can flex your charitable side with TOYCON’s charity auctions and Christmas Toy Drive that will benefit children from partner institutions and orphanages.
MOVIES
Going to the movies has always been a part of the Filipino holiday tradition. And if you still have a space in your holiday itinerary, then perhaps include the most-awaited theatrical comeback of the Metro Manila Film Festival. As always, the 48th MMFF has a slate of movies that will make you laugh, cry, and scream with your family. For our readers down south, the Mindanao Film Festival will also hold its twentieth anniversary this coming December. Happening in Tagum City, Davao del Norte, the Mindanao Film Festival celebrates its second decade with a diverse lineup of foreign and local titles that foreground Mindanaoan cinema at its best.
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