Melo Villareal
Every year, millions of people is visiting Naga City for the Peñafrancia Festival for nine days of festivities, including parades, film festivals, athletic competitions, and beauty pageants. This is one I never miss and below are the highlights I recommend.
Penafrancia Festival 2014
Naga City is known as the Queen City of the Bicol Region because it is the site of the shrine of Our Lady of Peñafrancia, the Principal Patroness and Queen of Bicol. Every September, more than five million devotees (and savvy tourists!) make the pilgrimage to her shrine, making it one of the world’s largest Marian pilgrimage sites and earning Naga the nickname of “The Pilgrim City.”
Join millions of Bicolanos and visitors as they pay tribute to their beloved Iná (mother) from September 11-22, 2014.
Peñafrancia Festival Fluvial Parade by Wikimedia
You can get a jump on the novena (nine-day celebration) the day before with the Miss Bicolandia beauty pageant at 7pm Thursday, Sept. 11 at Jesse M. Robredo Colliseum, and the the Bishop Gainza Trade Fair on Elias Angeles Street, held daily throughout the novena. The festivities officially kick off Friday, September 12 at 1pm with the Traslacion Procession from Peñafrancia Shrine to Naga Metropolitan Cathedral.
Don’t stay out too late! Early Saturday, Sept 13 a week of competitive sports kicks off, featuring the region’s best competitive youth band, cheer and majorette crews, and triathletes.
On Saturday September 20, bring your walking sandals. The Fluvial Procession starts at noon as devotees parade images of Iná and the Divino Rostro from Naga Metropolitan Cathedral through central Naga to the Peñafrancia Basilica Minore Shrine. Sunday, Sept. 21 is the day-long observance of the Solemnity of our Lady of Peñafrancia. End the night with the Peñafrancia Short Film Festival at Universidad de Sta. Isabel Auditorium on September 22, 2014.
You can find a full schedule of the events here: http://www.nagacitydeck.com/2014/06/penafrancia-festival-2014.html
