by Zhaun Ortega
Kadayawan is a festival that every Dabawenyo holds close to his or her heart. Thus, when a change happens without prior knowledge from the lot of us, a little stir is expected to take place. Such is the case with the new Kadayawan logo and tagline. If you don’t already know, thereis now a new logo which is a lot less festive than the previous (in this columnist’s opinion), and they switched the tagline from “The Festival of Festivals” to “The King of Festivals”. Unfortunately, this piece of information was not disseminated earlier, thus several malls and hotels around the city still use the old tagline. Again, I do not agree with the switch (especially with the logo) but I am not one to complain. I am sure these changes were made based on some sort of study. More importantly, I think that the festival is more about the festivities, the culture, the experience, and the vibe, and less about the logo or tagline.
Now, here is the thing. A lot of locals complain saying that there aren’t many activities during Kadayawan. And although this is a legiotimate complaint, it is also one that is unfounded…or one that is based on pure opinion. Why? Because there are a lot of events. You just need to update yourself. And maybe this is one of the biggest challenges for the local government, or the handlers of the event. They must find away to promote all Kadayawan events, whether spearheaded by the government or by private sectors, to inform people about what they can do or which activities they may participate in during the “King of Festivals”.
But the fault is not only with them. The truth is, if you truly want to immerse yourself in the whole Kadayawan experience, you will look for events and things to do during Kadayawan. In fact, there is already a list of things you’ve missed last week including bazaars, concerts, tattoo competitions and exhibits, plant bazaars and exhibits, a fun run, cycling event, motocross event, among others. The good news is, I love you guys and wouldn’t want you to waste any more precious time just looking for events (instead of actually being there), so I gathered up all the hottest events to give you a shortlist of the things to hit during Kadayawan. You may use this lsit to immerse yourself in the festivities or as a itinerary if you plan to tour friends visiting from other cities to experience Kadayawan.
1. The Kadayawan sa Dabaw Opening is happening on August 15, 2011, 4PM, at People’s Park. Drop by for a refresher course about Kadayawan and discover how it came to be, what it’s all about, and what else to expect for this year’s festivities. Also expect cultural performances.
2. Hudyakaan sa Kadayawan is also happening from the 15th until the 22nd along the stretch of Roxas Avenue from starting 5PM. Hudyakaan sa Kadayawan is the Dabawenyo version of a street party. So if you want to dance in the streets while enjoying good music and imbibing the vibe of the ordinary Dabawenyo “masses”, this is the place to be. Plus, it is bound to be a lot of fun for tourists.
3. For the photography enthusiast, the Mindanow Photo Congress is happening from August 19 to 21 at the NCCC Mall Kadayawan Hall during mall hours.
4. If you are craving for a night of glitz, glamour, song, dance, and comedy, you might want to check out Follies de Mwah. This live show is based on Vegas style show-girl revues featuring some of the best performers from the capital city. This is happening on August 19, 8:30PM at the CAP Auditiorium.
5. For boozing with style while keeping well within budget, you could hit Marco Polo Davao’s Eagles Bar and avail of their bottomless cocktails from 6:00PM to 9:00PM for only 150 bucks. You could also enjoy the music of one of the best local DJ’s—Gary during Fridays and Saturdays.
6. For fashion finds, gastronomic treats, pasalubong items, little nothings, and a whole lot more, you may check out the Kadayawan Bazaar at the Davao Convention Center from August 18 to 21.
7. If the taste of old-school partying is what you lust for, hit Route88 on August 20 along Roxas Avenue for the “Best of the 90s” Dance Party. On the deck wil be DJ Ritchie Ritch and DJ Maxxey Perez from Club Vudu, Cebu (who happens to be a Davaoeno!)
8. If you are into clubbing and video-mixing, you may check out the Sonique Rush Party Series at Hybrid from August 15 to 21. The party starts at eight in the evening and will feature resident DJs from Starr as well as Video-DJ Chrismyk from Manila. Chrismyk has played in Republiq, Manor, and Hacianda.
9. For clubbing in high-style, you may also check out Starr’s Kadayawan Party which still remains top-secret as of press time. However, expect the party to be crazy, posh, and wild as most of Starr’s events are.
