Coconut Festival

San Pablo, Laguna is most commonly known as the “City of Seven Lakes”. It’s exactly what it sounds like – there are seven lakes in this city to the south of Manila. Locals and tourists head to San Pablo to tour the lakes where they can swim or have a picnic. But at the start of every year, this humble city holds one of the country’s grandest festivals in the country – the Coconut Festival.

Coconut production is one of Laguna’s main industries. From the actual fruit to the many products derived from it, Laguna’s economy gets a boost due to the many plantations in the province. Just like with many festivals in the Philippines, the Coconut Festival is a celebration of thanksgiving and in honor of San Pablo’s patron saint, St. Paul the First Hermit.

Coconut Festival in Laguna

First Hermit Cathedral. Photo on Foter.com

Due to the importance of the tree, the Coconut Festival was birthed out of the need to celebrate this phenomenal plant. Also known as the coco fest, the event’s humble beginnings can be traced back to 1996 when the first edition of the celebrations was held to honor the Hermit, St. Paul. This also doubles up as a gratitude act, so expect to see the locals in their full traditional attire and outlook during the festival.

The one-week festival is a must-attend, especially for nature lovers who are inspired by the outdoors. At the beginning of the Coconut Festival, look out for the dancing close to the statue of the saint. The night sessions are also an exciting part of the festival.

The festival is held every January 15.

Things to do at the Coconut Festival

Photo on Foter.com

San Pablo celebrates the festival for a full week. So well-organized is this event that it has earned several awards and recognitions from the Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines ATOP and the Department of Tourism DOT as the best Tourism Event for Festival Category City Level for several years.

Watch the Coco Float Parade and Street Dance Competition

San Pablo City Coconut Festival Facebook Page

The Coco Float Parade put San Pablo city on the map. Different groups and towns gather to show off their creations. But the strongest draw of the parade is the street dancers, which is also a competition. It’s divided into elementary, high school, and college divisions where students from Laguna participate for a prize. The dancers are decked in bright, colorful costumes overtly adorned with different coconut-themed accessories. Music is a mix of modern songs with tribal beats, creating a very exotic experience for thousands of town folk who line up to watch.

Crown the Coco Carnival Queen

Pageants are very much part of Philippine tradition, and every festival seems to have a version of it. The Coco Carnival Queens, who also join the float parade, are much-awaited by locals because of the creativity of their gowns. Their gowns are very quirky and completely made out of coconut trees. In the early days, the Carnival Queen wasn’t a competition but as time went by, the gowns became more extravagant and more dramatic, fueling the friendly nature of competition among the locals.

Coconut Foodfest and Exhibits

It’s not a Filipino festival if there isn’t food, so expect to be drowning in coconut at the festival. Coconut is very flexible, and you’ll find all sorts of sweet and savory dishes sold on the streets or in restaurants. The most common are fresh coconut straight out of the fruit or made into sweet pies that people usually bring home as souvenirs.

There are also exhibits put up to show the versatility of the fruit. From handicrafts and souvenirs to different kinds of local artwork, you won’t be lacking of coconut-inspired creations.

At night, a beer plaza is set up for locals and visitors to hang out and enjoy the night. There are cultural presentations from different schools and concerts played by local bands. At the end of the week, the Coronation Ball of the Mutya ng San Pablo (Carnival Queen) is held with a fashion show to show off more coconut garment creations.

Getting to the Coconut Festival

On top of the fun of the festival, the Coconut Festival is popular with outsiders because of its proximity to Manila. The main celebration always starts at the city hall.

From Manila, it’s a mere two-hour drive with a private car. There are also direct buses from Cubao or Buendia in Metro Manila that go straight to San Pablo City in Laguna. Once there, take a tricycle to the city hall.