Cebu City Calendar of Activities and Events
› Ms.Cebu Cultural & Beauty Pageant - 8pm, Thursday before Sinulog Sunday
› SinulogFestival (Sinulog Sa Barangay) - Celebrated every 3rd Sunday, Feast of Señor Sto.Niño
February
› Cebu Charter Day Celebration, February 24
› Cebu X International Furniture & Furnishing Exhibition
March
› Visayas Travel & Tour
› Lenten Season
› Buhing Kalbaryo - (Holy Week)
› Via Crucis-Banawa Hills
April
› Tres De Abril Enactment-April 3
› Araw ng Kagitingan-April 19
May
› Santa Cruzan
› Phil. Heritage & Museum Month
› Flag Day - May 28
June
› Tartanilla Festival - June1
› Independence Day - June12
› Rizal Day - June 19
› Tourism Congress - TBA
› Cebu Business Month - Movable
July
› Nutrition Month
› Fruits & Vegetables Festival at City Hall ground
August
› National Heroes Week
September
› Don Sergio Osmena Day - September 9
October
› Octoberfest
November
› Quezon City International Run - 4th Sunday of the month
› Andres Bonifacio Day/ Exhibit at Cebu City Museum - November 30
December
› Pasko sa Sugbo (whole month) @ Fuente Osmena & Plaza Independencia
› Christmas Food Street Festival - Movable
› Martyrdom of Dr. Jose Rizal
Department of Tourism (DOT) Calendar of Activities and Events
January
Sinulog Festival
Get into the beat of Cebu's biggest fiesta!
There's street dancing, face painting, bar parties, pop concerts, a Mardi Gras Parade and more. It's carnival time - every day of Sinulog week is full of fun and excitement.
But the heart of the celebration is the homage to the Miraculous Image of the Sto. Niño.
The carved wooden image of the Holy Child was a gift from explorer Ferdinand Magellan in the 16th century.
Thousand of pilgrims flock to the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño for the sinulog a prayer-dance performed with lighted candles and chants of "Pit Senyor!"
Must See, Must Do
• Dawn Fluvial Parade, Mactan Channel
• Twilight Street Party
• Solemn Sto. Niño Procession
• Sinulog Mardi Gras and Grand Parade
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February
Cebu X International Furniture Show
Marvel at the artistry of Cebuanos who combine indigenous materials - rattan, bamboo, shells, buri - with the latest in manufacturing technology to produce furniture at its best. Find out why Cebu is called the "Milan" of Asia in furniture design.
The annual showcase attracts international buyers and is a must-see for anyone who admires world-class pieces that appear in architecture magazines and upscale homes here and abroad.
Must See, Must Do
• International Furniture Fair
• Island Arts and Crafts Tour
Honeymoon Paradise
Fantasize.....you'll surely find romance in enchanting island hideaways. Bask in the warmth of a golden sun. Wake up to the gentle sound of waves in a beach resort. Enjoy the luxury of well-appointed suites and villas. Be pampered by hospitable and gracious service. Stay with us and fall in love forever.
Must See, Must Do
• Evening Serenade
• Island Hopping Adventure
• Sunset Cruise
Chinese New Year
Welcome the Year of the Goat on Feb. 1 with traditional Chinese fanfare - dragon, dance, fireworks, tikoy rice cakes, and street parades.
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March
Holy Week in Bantayan
Explore what makes Bantayan Island the ideal getaway during Holy Week.
Relax in sugar-fine while beaches and sample the quaint of town life.
Bantayan, the oldest parish in Cebu, shows its rich religious faith in a solemn procession of carrozas (large carriages), lighted up and adorned with life-size images of key Biblical characters showing the passion and death of Jesus Christ.
Must See, Must Do
• Good Friday Procession of Carrozas
• Town Heritage Tour
Activities in Lent
Witness the last days of the Son of God in street passion plays in San Nicolas and Guadalupe, Cebu City.
In "Buhing Kalbaryo", a musical version, actors plays the roles of a "singing" Jesus Christ and Roman soldiers. Some real-life penitents have themselves tied to wooden crosses to atone for their sins.
Join others in quiet prayer at garden monuments with Stallions of the Cross depicting the passion, death and joyous resurrection of Jesus.
Must See, Must Do
• Traditional Reliqious Via Crucis (Way of the Cross)
• Visita Iglesia (Church visits)
• Sugat (Easter Dawn procession)
• Buhing Kalbaryo (Living Calvary)
• Passus, a reflection of the passion of Christ via walk-through of life-sized images leading to Jerusalem.
Mt. Manunggal Trek
Trek to the peak where the plane of the late President Ramon Magsaysay crashed on March 17, 1957.
The annual hiking event attracts mountaineers and non-climbers who enjoy a day in the outdoors, picnics and the cool breeze of the hills of Tabunan, Cebu City.
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April
Island Adventures
Relive the victory of Lapu-Lapu, hem of the historic Battle of Mactan. Every year, the city of Lapu-Lapu stages a reenactment with canon fire and mock sword fights between island warriors and Spanish conquistadores on the shores of Mactan island. The proud chieftain Lapu-Lapu defeated invading forces of Ferdinand Magellan on April 27, 1521. Watch the stage version performed in songs and dance in "Kadaugan sa Mactan", an original full-legth musicale in the rich Cebuano language.
Sample fresh seafood prepared the way you want it in sutukil-fish, shrimp or shells cooked in soup, charcoal-broiled or pickled in vinegar.
Must See, Must Do
• Battle of Mactan Dance Drama
• Mactan Food Festival
• Week-long cultural events, sports and entertainment in Lapu-Lapu City.
Hole-In-One
Discover the sprawling greens of Cebu's premier gold courses. Spread our from the city center to north and south of Cebu island are six championship golf courses that attract sportsmen from all over.
Well-equipped club houses and recreational facilities make Cebu a premier destination for golfers.
Must See, Must Do
• Resort and golf packages
• Golf clinics and tournaments
Dive Safari
Explore wonders of the underwater world. Cebu has 166 islands and islets with sandy beaches and clear blue waters teeming with marine life. Steep, drop-offs, coral gardens, tropical fish, and gentle whale sharks will thrill the experienced diver or enthusiastic beginner.
Dive trips to neighboring Bohol, Negros, Siquijor islands promise to give the best of the Visayas.
Must See, Must Do
• Marine sanctuaries and fish feeding
• Cave Diving
• Cabilao Challenge
• Pescador Reefs
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May
Flower and Mango Festival
Savor the luscious Cebu mango in hillyland farms and find out how they are grown. Feast your eye on fields of roses, carnations and cut-flowers in full bloom. Talk with village farmers in roadside markets. Discover a refreshing haven in the cool uplands of Cebu City.
Must See, Must Do
• Hillyland tours
• Mango Festival
Santacruzan
Catch a colorful parade of celebrities and society personalities dressed in Filipiniana-inspired gowns by Cebu designers. By tradition, the Reyna Eleba, as major sponsor of the celebration, leads the parade of "princesses" to culminate a nine-day period of prayers to the Virgin Mary.
This festival grew out of Catholic devotion to Mary, to whom the month of May is dedicated.
Must See, Must Do
• Flores de Mayo church celebrations (whole month)
• Marian Pilgrimage Tour
• Santacruzan Procession, Dinner and Dance
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June
Dream Wedding
Capture the bliss of a perfect wedding in lasting memories. Come for the perfect concept, location and packages for your wedding. Choose from gardens to hilltop chapels, elegant cathedrals to quaint town churches. Exchange vows underwater or on a private island - the choice is yours. Avail of the services of a professional in planning the event of your life.
Must See, Must Do
• Tropical Wedding Packages
• Bridal Show and Shopping Festival
Wet and Wild
Join exciting eco-adventures that take you to the great outdoors. Trek, hike, climb, swim. Go spelunking and explore wild rivers. Test your strength against the elements or find inner peace that comes from uniting with Mother Nature.
Must See, Must Do
• Dolphin and Whale Watching (Cebu and Bohol)
• Bird Watching in the wetlands of Olango Island| (Cebu)
• Mountains, Caves and Waterfalls
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July
Blood Brothers
While earlier counterparts battled over their differences in Mactan, Bohol's Rajah Sikatuna and Spanish commander Miguel Lopez de Legaspi chose peace with a ritual sealing a special brotherhood. Using a sharp knife, Sikatuna and Legazpi both made cuts on their arms and let their blood flow into a container. Wine was then poured into it before they drank. Now celebrated as the Sandugo Festival, it is commemorated with pageanty every July.
Spa Packages
Pamper yourself with an extensive meny of spa services. Have a massage, facial, body scrub, aromatherapy, reflexology or soak in a flower-petal bath.
The setting may be a well-equipped health center, a tropical garden spa or an outdoor resort. It's a great way to spoil yourself.
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August
Mantawi Festival
Join Mandaue City is celebrating its history as a Port City where Spanish galleons used to dock with its precious cargo of spices.
Catch the colorful street parade on Aug. 30, Charter Day. The eras of growth of Mandaue are showcased in floats, moving dioramas on top of 10-wheeler trucks, papier mache higantes and dances all flowing to a vigorous, unique drumbeat.
Cordova Dinagat Festival
Celebrate the fishermen's holiday!
Join the town of Cordova in a day of merriment and thanks giving for the bounty in their seafaring and fishing endeavors. The town honors its patron saint, San Roque with rituals, prayers and dances that recognize His intercession in giving Cordova fisherfolk a good catch. Fishnets and bancas go on display in a unique street parade.
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September
Visayas Food Festival
Get big servings of gastronomic delights from the varied cuisine of the Visayan islands. True to its name, it is a food lover's paradise organized by top hotels and restaurants in the region. No matter what your choice, from seafood to Chinese, barbecue to noodles, charcoal-grilled to kinilaw (raw seafood soaked in vinegar-our version of sushi), it's definitely a mouthwatering treat!
Must See, Must Do
• Cebu goes Culinary Festival
• Regionwide Festival in hotels and restaurants
• International Cooking Demonstrations & Food Competitions
Cebu Megasale
Shop 'til you drop! The whole month is a bargain festival. From the hustle of colorful markets with fruits and flowers to designers boutiques, malls and handicraft centers. Cebu gives the shopper a range of choices at prices that will please. Every purchase becomes a prized possesion. Malls offer a Shopping Passport that give a special Visitors Discount.
Must See, Must Do
• Export Overruns Fair (Home Decor, Fashion Accessories)
• Orchid Festival
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October
Ah, Lechon
Savor the best of the Filipino party table-lechon. Talisay City's roast pig is the undisputable best-golden brown, crackling crispy skin, tasty meat from secret stuffed herbs. Family recipes are well guarded and handed down from generation to generation.
Find out why Talisay deserves to be the lechon capital of the Philippines.
Must See, Must Do
• Lechon Festival Parade
• Cooking Demonstration & Food Fair
• Tastiest Lechon Contest
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November
Lapu-Lapu City Fiesta
Join the colorful rites to honor the Virgin of the Rule, patron of Lapu-Lapu City. Boats set to sea in fluvial procession by devotees who credit the Virgin for the prosperity of what was once a sleepy fishing village.
Queen City International Run
More fun & funky than Olympic in effort. Runners from all over the world join the 13- kilometer marathon. A $1000 price awaits the first to cross the finish line.
Must See, Must Do
• Grand Sports Expo & Shopping Festival
• Sports Spa & Clinics
• Adventure Tour
Rediscover Heritage
Travel along Cebu's southern coast, past small towns and markets. Visit centuries-old stone churches on your way through historic towns echoing the lifestyle of a gracious era. Stay for a colorful street dancing in Carcar's Kabkaban Festival on the eve of the fiesta.
Must See, Must Do
• Southern Countryside Heritage Tour
• Carcar “Kabkaban” Festival
• Lapu-Lapu Fluvial Parade
• Historical and Cultural Shows
• Guitar Music Festival
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December
Pasko sa Sugbu
Here's why the Pinoy Christmas is the longest season in the world.
The celebration spirit starts early with caroling contests, choral performances in churches and malls, holiday lights, lanterns and a round family reunions and feasts ushering in the most anticipated season of the year.
Get up early to join daily dawn Masses of Misa de Gallo that begin nine days before the Christmas. After, warm the chill with native hot cocoa and puto rice cakes sold in the church grounds.
On the street, compare different versions of the traditional belen, life- size manger scenes along a well-lighted V Rama Avenue. Residents hold a contest every year for the most striking, creative tableaus.
It's great to be home for Christmas – which streches on ‘til New Year's Eve, Three King's Day, and before you know it, the Sinulog in mid-January.
Must See, Must Do
• Pasko sas Sugbu, street décor, Cebu City
• Family reunions
• Misa de Gallo
• Christmas Mass at the Metropolitan Cathedral
• Choral Festival, Lantern Parade
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