PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The 10th annual Fil Fest USA kicked off this weekend. This time the two-day event is in Portsmouth.
News 3 stopped in to the event near the Atlantic Union Bank Pavilion Saturday. There traditional Filipino and fusion dishes were served up from a row of food trucks.
"One of the things that sells out pretty quickly is Sinigang Fried Chicken. It's a soup but we use in a dried form and put it on fried chicken. And who doesn't love fried chicken," said Laurie Maigue, owner of a food truck based in Virginia Beach called It's All Good.
Maigue said the first day of the fest had been exceptionally busy — full of new and friendly faces.
"It's been good seeing faces we've seen throughout the years," said Maigue.
The festival is a celebration of the Filipino culture that's integral to Hampton Roads, especially since Hampton Roads has the second-largest Filipino community on the East Coast. That's largely because of the U.S. Navy. At one time, the Navy's biggest bases were in Hampton Roads and the Philippines. And October, as Filipino-American Heritage Month, is the perfect time to recognize the history and culture, according to Fil Fest organizers.
"We took that opportunity to raise up Fil Fest so we can recognize that history and to introduce to main stream our love of food, our love of family, music, our love of art. And every year we have a different theme. This year it's education and technology," explained Naomi Estaris, board member of Fil Fest USA.
In keeping with the theme, Guinness World Record Holder and TikTok influencer Russell Cassevah debuted a Lego kit that will help kids learn.
"This is a Jeepney," explained Cassevah who is the CEO and founder of LittleBricks Charity. "A lot of Americans don't know what a Jeepney is, but back in WWII the troops left 600,000 jeeps in the Philippines. The creative Filipino people took those. They stretched them. They added a cab to them and they created a public form of transportation."
He's selling the lego kits at the Fil Fest.
"This lego set is accompanied by a historical video which allows kids to build and learn all at the same time," added Cassevah.
For every kit sold he said another is being delivered to kids in the hospital.
At Fil Fest there was recognition of the roughly 25 Filipino teachers brought into Portsmouth this year too.
"That's been a game changer for our public schools because a number of our teachers have landed in our public schools," said Portsmouth mayor Shannon Glover. "In fact I've talked to a number of them. They are excited about bringing their educational talents and resources to the city of Portsmouth but also they bring their culture. They can teach our children more about what happens. Not only what happens in Hampton Roads, not only what happens in America, but the world. I think that's a pretty good opportunity."
The fest is full of Filipino food, entertainment like the Philippines' 'R&B King' JayR and pop band JAGMAC, Filipino shops, and family-friendly activities like the Annual Lumpia Eating Contest.
"We've got the city come together, we got businesses come together. It's people coming together," said Estaris.
The event continues through Sunday.
