Cavinti Fiesta with a Hawaiian Flair
By: Ismael J. Castillo
Awash with festive colours, Meadowvale Conservation Park in Mississauga, Ontario Canada provided a virtual setting for this year’s Cavinti Hawaiian Fiesta Picnic on August 1, 2009.
With fiesta revelers in colourful leis accentuating their Hawaiian dress, shirts and shorts, succulent lechons amid a variety of fruits and array of food trays on long tables, it would not be difficult to feel the vibes of Hawaii in the park even without the sound of rushing ocean waves.
The Greater Toronto Area (GTA) had a respite from days of continuous rain prior to the picnic so it’s no wonder every one soaked up the sun and took advantage of the mild weather. Children frolicked and participated in a variety of fun and games while the grownups were engaged in the usual Cavinti style “kwentuhan” and “kumustahan”.
Waiting for the Pabitin to Drop
Following the picnic Adan Vita, the incoming chairperson for the 2010 fiesta, and his wife Florie invited the picnickers to their residence for burgers, hot dogs, assorted chi-cherias, and steaming arroz caldo for merienda.
Some karaoke enthusiasts readily availed themselves of the hosts’ karaoke machine and took turns in belting out their favorite songs (sorry guys but there’s no My Way this time).
A day prior to the picnic Fiesta 2009 chairperson Chris and his charming wife Vanessa hosted a bespiras dinner which was attended by a considerable numbers of out of town visitors and locals alike at the residence of their gracious parents, Ed and Irma Avelino,
Ready to hit the pinata.
After the Mass Offerings in honor of our town’s Patron, San Salvador del Mundo, the formal dance dubbed Cavinti Night followed at the usual venue, the Christ the King Banquet Hall.
Chris Avelino, admittedly the first chairperson of the second generation of Cavinti fiesta chairmen, opened up the evening’s celebrations by welcoming guests and thanking the Fiesta Organizing Committee for “entrusting me to run this year’s fiesta events”.
He also thanked all the participants of the evening’s Feature Presentation, a hint of what is yet to come. Dinner was immediately served and the bar remained open from 8:00 PM to 11:30 PM.
Direct from Hawaii
In the spirit of the fiesta and the popular Cavinti hospitality attendance to the fiesta events was free of charge as ever.
Carlito V. Mejilla did the honors of presenting and acknowledging guests, some coming all the way from Virginia, Maryland, New York City, Chicago, California, Missouri, Michigan, Washington, and the two Canadian provinces of Alberta and Vancouver.
Likewise he introduced Cavintinians who are new immigrants and visitors to Canada like Chester Alarmado.
Being added to the growing list of Cavintinians in the GTA was Kelly Danielson, a winsomely amiable young Brazilian who’s a newlywed to Neil Flores, one of the most eligible Cavintinian bachelors in the GTA.
