Masskara Festival at SM City Bacolod

MANILA, Philippines - SM City Bacolod celebrates Maskarra Festival this month, highlighting the city’s vibrant art and culture, and its indomitable spirit and energy.

SM joins the festivities with exhibits, contests and performances by top young stars.

Great bargains are available at the mall’s Maskarra until today. Stores offer up to 50 percent discount on great selections.

The Maskarra Costume Exhibit, showcases some of the best costumes of the dancers through the years. It features colorful, vibrant costumes, giant-lighted festival masks and live dance performances.

Negros Occidental Garden Club’s 35th Annual Garden Show is on Oct. 20 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at SM City Bacolod’s North Transport Terminal. It is the largest show of its kind in the province, with more than 50 exhibitors showcasing products and a wide range of endemic and exotic plants around the home and garden.

With its Green Garden, Green World Theme, the show will be highlighted by a Japanese Tea Ceremony every afternoon, a health and wellness day, a salad and tea buffet, and lectures and demonstrations on landscaping, organic farming and gardening topics.

A P10 admission fee to the Garden Show entitles participants to a raffle ticket and a chance to win cash prizes. All proceeds from this year’s show will help the Garden Club continue its community work for charitable institutions.

Talents from the City of Smiles will also be showcased in the Masskara Slippers Design Making Contest and Sigaboom 2009 Drumbeating Competition.

In celebration of the festival’s 30th anniversary, SM Department Store in cooperation with the SM Supermalls, is spearheading the Masskara Slippers Design Making Contest.

Entries will be exhibited in the mall’s North Wing Event Center until Oct. 31.

The Sigaboom 2009 Drumbeating Competition, on the other hand, aims to showcase the Filipino’s natural rhythm in percussion drum playing, dancing, and costume design.

Participating teams should have teams of 11 to 18 drumbeaters, percussionists and dancers. During the Grand Finals on Oct. 18, at the mall’s Fiesta Strip, the Grand Champion will get P20,000 in cash and gift certificates while the second and third place winners will get P10,000 and P5,000, respectively. Special awards will be given to the Best Dancers, Most Creative Team and the Best in Costume.

Akihiro Sato goes to the Events Center on Oct. 18 at 4 p.m. courtesy of Mario D’boro at SM Department Store.