TO mark Fiesta In America’s re-opening after a two-year hiatus, a free daylong concert starring Original Pilipino Music legend Florante De Leon and singer-comic Fe De Los Reyes will be held on Saturday, August 20 starting at 10 a.m. in Court A of American Dream Mall in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Admission is open to the public. In addition, early-arriving visitors will receive promo-coded vouchers offering 25% off any American Dream attraction; the discount vouchers are valid from August 21 to September 21, 2022.
Florante De Leon, best known to his legions of fans as Florante, will be making his second concert appearance for Fiesta In America (the Pinoy folk-rock legend first performed at the event in 2013). Thousands of American Dream visitors of all cultures will enjoy Florante’s biggest hits, including “Pinay” (Filipino Woman), “Abakada,” (Filipino alphabet), “Ako’y Isang Pinoy” (I Am A Filipino,” and his anthem “Handog” (Offering).
Singer and stand-up comic Fe De Los Reyes will provide laugh-a-minute takes on immigrant life in the U.S., the mystique of Filipino femininity and aging. Fe first became popular as a member of Music & Magic, one of the Philippines’ premier show bands in the 1980s. Her repertoire include the musical-comedy “Amerikana…Made In The Philippines” and the hit “LolaLand, The Grandmother Of All Shows,” a pungent but uproarious reflection on the complicated lives and loves of Filipino women.
“Aside from the free concert to celebrate our return from a two-year pause due to the pandemic,” said Nanding Mendez, Fiesta In America’s President-CEO, “attendees of all age groups will be treated to a Mass at the 10 a.m., followed by a santacruzan in full regalia, as well as a fashion show from Asia Pacific Fashion Week, (sponsored by GMA-7 and Asian Journal Publications) that will showcase designs by innovative Filipino couturiers.” Lani Misalucha, known as Asia’s Nightingale, is slated to punctuate APFW’s show with her distinctive blend of pop, rock, jazz and R&B music. The event’s partnership with APFW in will benefit a scholarship for talented but low-income Filipino design students under the Ramp for a Cause initiative. Special highlights are performances courtesy of Hudson County Latin American Chamber of Commerce and Essex County Latino-American Chamber of Commerce. Nanding Mendez also acknowledges the many sponsors, exhibitors, organizations and donors who are supporting the Fiesta In America.
On Court A’s third floor, savory Filipino cuisine will be the centerpiece of an area reserved for Fiesta In America. Attendees will also enjoy a wide range of Filipino native products and immigrant-tailored services from exhibitors based in the U.S. and the Philippines, free vital-signs screenings and health awareness tips from the Philippine Nurses Association New Jersey (PNANJ) volunteers, a Children’s Section hosted by UNIFFIED, simultaneous chess games featuring a 9-year-old Filipina prodigy Megan Paragua who is currently Ranked #1 in the World under 10 years old, glimpses of Philippine village life, and so much more. The discount vouchers for 25% off any American Dream attraction are available on the third floor of American Dream’s Court A on a first-come-first-served basis and while voucher supplies last. Early arriving visitors will only have to provide their email address plus a family member or friend’s email to qualify for a voucher.
Fiesta In America will be preceded and complemented by the 14th annual edition of its companion gala, the People’s Ball. This year’s gala luncheon, which will be highlighted by the Empowerment Awards for achievers’ body of work in public service, business and the humanities will be held on Sunday, August 14, 12 noon at the Marriott Liberty International Airport Hotel, New Jersey.
For more information about the People’s Ball and Fiesta In America, please call 212-682-6610; 917-612-8861, email [email protected], [email protected] or visit www.fiestainamerica.com.
(Advertising Supplement)
