LOS ANGELES, CA — Historic Filipinotown came alive this past weekend as more than 22,000 people gathered for Baryo HiFi, a free community festival celebrating Filipino culture through music, food, art, and connection.
The day kicked off with a 5K Community Run through Historic Filipinotown led by Bay Area rapper P-Lo and trainer Jo Perez, powered by Nike Running. By the time early access doors opened at the festival, the streets were already packed with attendees coming from all over Los Angeles, the Bay Area, San Diego, Las Vegas, New York, and beyond.
From the moment guests entered through a traditional jeepney and tricycle installation, the neighborhood transformed into what felt like a modern Little Manila and one giant family party. Galpin Honda presented a “new school vs. old school” car showcase celebrating the deep roots of Filipino car culture and customization communities. At HiFi Kitchen, the Manila Sound DJ Collective kept people dancing all day long alongside a live B-Boy and B-Girl cypher hosted by Historic Illipinos. Unidad Park also served as a central gathering space throughout the festival, featuring cultural programming and family-friendly activities led by FilAm Arts.
The main stage remained packed from start to finish with performances, community programming, and one of the most anticipated moments of the festival, the annual karaoke contest.
This year officially launched “BARYOKE,” presented by Seafood City, announcing a new touring karaoke competition series hosted by Baryo Ent following the success of Late Night Madness. The crowd erupted when longtime supporter and co-founding partner Jo Koy made a surprise appearance to crown the winner with a roundtrip ticket to the Philippines courtesy of Philippine Airlines, a luggage set from BEIS, and an additional $1,000 in spending money gifted personally by Jo Koy himself.
Jeremy Passion brought the entire crowd back to the YouTube era with nostalgic fan favorites including “Lemonade,” often referred to online as the Filipino-American anthem of the YouTube generation. The festival also continued its mission of creating space for emerging Filipino talent, giving a platform to newly signed ABS-CBN International and MYX artists Acoya, JMKO, and Jamie Ave. Another standout moment was a special exhibition honoring the legacy of the legendary Beat Junkies, featuring founding members DJ Rhettmatic and DJ Babu, celebrating the crew’s lasting impact on turntablism and hip-hop culture.
2025 NPR Tiny Desk Contest winner Ruby Ibarra delivered a powerful performance backed by her live band The Balikbayans, while Afro-Filipino Latin soul legend Joe Bataan brought generations together through timeless music and storytelling rooted in diasporic history, identity, and resilience. The night closed with a high-energy DJ set from Toro y Moi that carried the celebration late into the evening.
Backstage and throughout the festival grounds, the energy felt deeply personal despite the scale of the event. Artists, creatives, and community members connected with people they had long admired, creating rare moments that reflected what Baryo has always been about: bringing people together across generations, backgrounds, and creative worlds.
Grammy and Academy Award-winning artist H.E.R. was also in attendance throughout the day, supporting local vendors and mingling with fans while enjoying Cafe 86’s famous halo halo. H.E.R., who continues to be one of the most visible Filipino-American artists globally, is also set to star in the upcoming film Forgotten Island rooted in Filipino mythology and storytelling.
Food remained one of the biggest highlights of the festival, with vendors and chefs coming together for special collaborations and one-day-only dishes.
Park’s Finest and Lasita teamed up for a Temple Street Tri-Tip Sando created exclusively for Baryo HiFi, while Full Send BBQ served standout dishes including Smoked Brisket Sinigang and a Meat Flight Sampler. James Beard Award-winning chef Kuya Lord offered a Lucenachon Sisig Rice Bowl special, and Chef Tiana Gee of Soul Phil partnered with Sprite on a playful menu inspired by a familiar Filipino cooking tradition using Sprite as a secret ingredient in Filipino dishes, featuring a Sprite BBQ plate alongside calamansi ginger Sprite spritzes.
“Food has always been at the center of Filipino community and celebration,” said Miles Canares, Co-Founder and Event Producer. “We really wanted the food experience to feel like home while also showcasing how much Filipino cuisine and creativity continues to evolve through the next generation of chefs and vendors.”
The festival also featured three marketplaces showcasing Filipino entrepreneurship, creativity, and small businesses from Manila, Los Angeles, and the Bay Area. Guests explored handmade goods, curated vintage, traditional Filipino wear, collectibles, art, and independent brands rooted in both heritage and contemporary Filipino identity.
This all started back in 2019, when co-founder Stephanie Ramos, in her former role leading marketing and special projects at Nike, was able to secure support to uplift the Filipino-American community through intimate dinners that brought together creatives, entrepreneurs, artists, and community builders. Since then, it has evolved into a much larger vision, growing into both a global community platform and multicultural creative agency rooted in culture, connection, and representation.
“This is still very much a passion project built by a small group of friends who deeply care about the community,” said Ramos. “Seeing generations and people from all backgrounds come together for this is a reminder that what we’re building is so much bigger than an event.”
Today, Nike continues to support Baryo through programming that uplifts Filipino-American artists, storytellers, and creative voices, including this year’s art exhibition curated by Tambayan.
While the festival continues to grow each year, the heart of Baryo remains rooted in community, cultural connection, and creating spaces where people feel a sense of belonging.
“Seeing thousands of people from all backgrounds come together in Historic Filipinotown to celebrate, connect, and uplift one another is exactly why Baryo HiFi was created,” said Jennifer Taylor, Co-Founder and community leader. “Our mission has always been to bring visibility and meaningful activations to our cultural neighborhood. That vision for HiFi has come to life. Baryo would not be possible without the support of partners and sponsors who truly believe in investing in Filipino culture, creativity, and community.”
For media inquiries, partnerships, or future collaboration opportunities, please contact:
Jennifer Taylor | jennifer.taylor@baryoent.com
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