The 9th BacoLaodiat Festival kicks off 3:30 p.m. today with a grand parade and zodiac floats along Lacson Street, Bacolod City, which has been decorated with red Chinese lanterns.

Ushering in the Year of the Wooden Horse, the BacoLaodiat Festival this year has adopted the theme “Two Cultures, Hundreds of Families Celebrating.”

Festival chairman Jennifer Gochangco-Ong said the parade will be followed by the streetdance competition along Lacson-21st streets at 4 p.m. and the ceremonial opening of the Chopsticks Alley at the North Capitol Road.

She said the opening of the Imperial Horse Grounds at PNB Park will be at 5 p.m. to be followed by the ceremonial lighting of lanterns and cultural show at the North Capitol Road at 6.m. and fireworks display at 9 p.m.

ABS-CBN Kapamilya Karavan will start at 9:30 p.m. at the North Capitol Road, followed by live bands along Lacson Street, and ceremonial beating of drums at the Yuan Thong Temple in Burgos Street at 11:30 p.m.

Ong said festival-goers can make a wish at the wishing tree and have their souvenir photos taken with the horses. The tree will later be torched so that their wishes will reach the heavens.

Joining the parade are the executive committee, government officials, and students from the three Chinese schools in Bacolod, and corporate sponsors, she said.

Ong said colorful costumes and lighted lanterns will illuminate the streets on Friday during the lantern street dance competition along Lacson Street that starts at 6 p.m.

Winners of the lantern dance competition will parade around SM City Bacolod on Sunday at 5 p.m.

A parade of mascots will be held on Saturday along Lacson Street at 4:30 p.m. to be followed by GMA Kapuso Night at 5 p.m. at the North Capitol Road and live bands at 10 p.m.

The awarding and closing ceremonies will be held at the North Capitol Road at 9 p.m. on Saturday.

As in the past, St. John’s Institute will again hold its yearly St. John’s Institute Night on Saturday at Lacson Street, while a Tsinoy spring festival thanksgiving mass will be held on Sunday at 8 a.m. at the Queen of Peace Parish, Ong said.

January 31 is the celebration of the Lunar New Year where everyone welcomes a new beginning in 2014, she added.*CGS

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