Bangus Festival

Bangus Festival is an annual festivity in Dagupan City, Pangasinan that

kicks off every month of April. It celebrates the province's Bonuan bangus,

which is renowned for its unique taste.

Celebration

Bangus Festival, first celebrated in 2002, was the brainchild

of former mayor Benjamin S. Lim, who wished to emphasize

 the local bangus industry and promote Dagupan as the

Bangus Capital of the World. Initially a part of the

thanksgiving festival Pista'y Dayat, Bangus Festival developed

 into a two-week socio-economic program of activities that

highlights the city's top produce.

The festival commences with the lighting of 1,000 barbecue

 grills lined up to cook thousands of bangus, which

stretches up to two kilometers. This also serves as a

competition for hundreds of cooks, whose dishes are

not only judged by the grilling but through whipping up the

tastiest and most creative way of serving bangus. The

contest was eventually called “'101 Ways to Cook Bangus”

 and won for the city a recognition in the Guinness Book of

World Records for the longest barbecue in 2003.

Aside from the grilling challenge, the festivity showcases a

bangus eating contest, a search for the biggest and heaviest

bangus, the Gilon-gilon dancing festival, the Pigar-pigar

festival, the Halo-halo festival, and the Bangusan street

party, where several local and Manila-based bands perform

along Jose R. De Venecia Expressway Extension.

In 2010, a new activity called “Yaman ng Norte Diad Bangus

 Festival” will be introduced to the festival. It aims to provide an

avenue for towns and cities in North Luzon to promote their

products, delicacies, culture, and events. Each participating town

or city will have a trade booth where visitors can avail of their

 products.

This year's festival starts on 16 April and ends on 1 May, days

before the May 2010 national elections. Dagupan Vice Mayor Belen

Fernandez said that no candidate will be allowed to join the

parade or ride floats.