Maginhawa Street, the culinary heart of Quezon City, recently transformed into a massive cultural and gastronomic hub as it hosted the 3rd Maginhawa Arts and Food Festival. Deemed the largest community festival in the city to date, the event saw over 140 merchants participating, marking a significant expansion from previous years.
The festival, which now stretches across two barangays, was a successful collaboration between the Quezon City local government, the tourism office, and the Maginhawa Food Community, an organization representing the street’s restaurant owners.
Betty Cantiga, corporate secretary of the Maginhawa Food Community, highlighted that the primary goal was to create opportunities for small and startup businesses to showcase their products, alongside existing members.
She noted the considerable growth of the event’s footprint, extending from Teacher’s Village East into UP Village, and broadening the focus to include more arts and crafts booths.
The full-day affair, which ran from 9:00 a.m. until close to midnight, featured a wide range of activities for visitors.
The schedule included morning Zumba sessions and a Mass, followed by symphonic band performances and an evening concert featuring popular acts like Over October and mrld.
The festival successfully drew hundreds of attendees, including international visitors.
Among the participating entrepreneurs was Mar Tañada, a young fresh graduate who turned a casual visit last year into a business opportunity this year, selling products like his “lucky chicken” at one of the pop-up stalls.
Admission to the massive community celebration was free, although motorists were advised of temporary road closures on portions of Maginhawa Street for the duration of the event.