Ottawa Fiesta Extravaganza is returning for its second year on June 13 and 14 at the Cohere Centre with bigger crowds and a larger venue as organizers prepare to celebrate Filipino Heritage Month in Canada’s capital.
The two-day festival is expected to attract more than 5,000 attendees.
Organizers say that would nearly double attendance from the inaugural event in 2025, which welcomed approximately 3,000 people.
The growth comes as Filipino Heritage Month celebrations continue to expand across Canada.
Since the month of June was officially recognized as Filipino Heritage Month by the federal government in 2018, communities nationwide have used festivals, cultural events, and educational programs to celebrate Filipino history, culture, and contributions to Canadian society.
For Ottawa organizer Fil Caballes, Ottawa Fiesta Extravaganza was created to give the city’s Filipino community a festival of its own.
“To be honest with you, Ottawa has never had a festival, a Filipino festival. We just had Fiesta Extravaganza. It just started (last year), and at least we have something to look forward to,” Caballes said.
Caballes is the founder and CEO of the Philippine International for Arts, Culture and Heritage (PIACH), a nonprofit organization established less than two years ago to promote Filipino culture through year-round programming.
Since its launch, PIACH has organized holiday markets, charity galas, cultural showcases, sports tournaments, and fundraising events.
Ottawa Fiesta Extravaganza remains the organization’s largest undertaking and its flagship Filipino Heritage Month event.
Caballes said the festival was founded with a simple goal: bringing people together.
“I want Filipinos to be together in one place for two days, while supporting our local entrepreneurs, our food vendors,” he said.
“Filipinos love gathering. I think that’s the only time we see each other.”
That sense of community has helped fuel the festival’s rapid growth.
Organizers have moved into a larger hall at the Cohere Centre this year to accommodate additional vendors and family activities.
The expanded space will also allow the festival to introduce attractions that could not fit during its inaugural year.
“This year we’re aiming for double (the attendance), like 5,000 or more,” Caballes said.
Among the festival’s featured attractions are the Ottawa Fiesta Extravaganza Voice Showdown singing competition, Bayong Couture fashion show, cultural performances, community exhibits, and a car show presented in partnership with Bumper to Bumper.
Headlining performers include Jason Fernandez, former vocalist of the Filipino rock band Rivermaya, and actor-singer Kyle Echarri.
Caballes said the lineup was intentionally designed to appeal to different generations of festivalgoers.
“We need a variety of artists so that all ages will be represented,” he said.
While entertainment remains a major draw, Caballes said the festival’s broader purpose is to showcase Filipino culture and identity within Canada’s multicultural identity.
“I just want to show Filipino pride. It’s as if we are waving the flag,” he said.
The festival will feature Filipino food vendors, cultural organizations, and local entrepreneurs alongside several non-Filipino vendors, reflecting the organization’s commitment to inclusivity.
“I want it to be not just about Filipinos. I want it to be multicultural at the same time because we’re Filipino Canadians.”
Caballes believes events such as Ottawa Fiesta Extravaganza play an important role in helping younger Filipino Canadians stay connected to their roots while introducing non-Filipinos to Filipino traditions.
“Someone has to do it. Someone has to lead,” he said. “We should not stop showcasing our arts, our talents, especially our food.”
He added that cultural festivals provide an opportunity to share Filipino traditions through music, dance, fashion, and cuisine.
“If you want to showcase our culture, I think you have to show them what we have: dancing, singing, fashion—our Filipiniana, our Barong.”
For first-time visitors, Caballes believes the experience will leave a lasting impression.
“Aside from our cultural dances and everything, I think we’re different when we do festivals,” he said. “We’re more vibrant, we’re more colorful, we’re louder.”
