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Fiesta Filipino 2026 brought music, dance, food, and cultural pride to Lamoureux Park, as Cornwall’s Filipino community welcomed residents to share in their traditions and heritage.
Organized by the Filipino-Canadian Community of Cornwall and area, the festival featured cultural performances, vendors, exhibitors, and opportunities for community members of all backgrounds to experience the “spirit of the Philippines.”
This year’s theme, “Roots and Wings: Preserving Cultures, Embracing Futures — The World Shines When Cultures Unite,” focused on honouring Filipino heritage while celebrating diversity and connection.
“On behalf of the organization, volunteers, performers, and the Filipino community, thank you for joining us today,” said Marieta Betournay during the opening ceremony.
“This year’s theme reminds us to honour our heritage while embracing unity, diversity, and the future together. Today, we celebrate our culture through music, dance, food, tradition, and community.”
The event highlighted Filipino music, traditional dance, cuisine, and community participation while recognizing the contributions of local volunteers who helped organize the celebration. Mayor Justin Towndale praised the organizers for their efforts.
“It’s a beautiful day to celebrate Filipino culture here in the City of Cornwall,” said Towndale. “Something like this just doesn’t happen. It takes a lot of behind-the-scenes work, so I want to thank and congratulate all the organizers and volunteers who make this possible.”
Towndale said events like Fiesta Filipino demonstrate the importance of celebrating the many cultures represented in Cornwall.
Stormont-Dundas-Glengarry MP Eric Duncan also attended and spoke about the growth of the Filipino community locally.
“I’m really impressed at the size of Cornwall and SDG’s Filipino population, particularly in the last five to seven years. It’s really exploded in size, and the association has done a great job with a variety of events,” said Duncan.
Duncan said cultural celebrations like Fiesta Filipino help strengthen the wider community.
“They’re very active, and I call them a great part of economic development,” said Duncan. “The number of people that see the association and see the culture on display here, it does a lot to bring more people into Cornwall and choose Cornwall.”
He added that he appreciates opportunities to support events that showcase the community’s traditions.
“I’m very grateful to always get out and support these events, support their culture, and support what they do to bring more people into Cornwall,” said Duncan.
Organizers thanked performers, volunteers, and guests for contributing to the event’s success, emphasizing that Fiesta Filipino continues to provide a space for Filipino Canadians to share their heritage while building connections across cultures.
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