Panagbenga Festival, also known as the Flower Festival or Season of Blooming was first held in 1995. It is one of the largest cultural festivals and the biggest non-religious event in the Philippines. The annual event attracts 2 million visitors to Baguio during the month long celebration.
The Parades
Hundreds of thousands spectators line streets to watch two spectacular parades that are held on sequential days — The Grand Street Dance Parade and The Grand Float Parade. Both are huge events. The Grand Float Parade with its giant flower floats is the culminating event that happens just before the popular week long Session in Bloom begins.
Panagbenga Meaning
The word Panagbenga comes from Kankanaey, which is a native language in the province of Benguet and Mountain Province. The word panagbenga roughly translates into “season of blooming”, “season for blossoming”, or “time for flowering.”
Preparing for Panagbenga
Panagbenga goes from February to the first week of March. The weather is usually cool and clear, with little to no rain. The highland temperature can be a lot cooler than the lowlands in the Philippines. So, make sure to bring something warm to wear. If you arrive and don’t have any warn to wear… then you can easily find some excellent deals on warm clothing in the second hand shops that are all around Baguio, or at the Night Market.