The 2009 Liberation Day Carnival opens tomorrow at Paseo Park in Hagatna in celebration of the 65th Annual Liberation of Guam and will run through August 2, 2009.  Participants can expect a fun and exciting night filled with amusement rides, games, food, local Chamorro arts and crafts, and entertainment from local Guam bands and artists.  This year’s carnival will be more focused on showcasing the culture of the island in a more family-friendly atmosphere.

If your visiting the island, Guam’s Liberation Day Carnival is one event you should experience at least once while your here.  You’ll be able to enjoy Chamorro food, experience Guam’s culture, and meet friendly people from Guam.  The Liberation Day Carnival is one of the largest events held yearly on the island of Guam and everyone from the island usually visits the carnival at least once during the few weeks it is open.

Hours for Guam’s 2009 Liberation Day Carnival are:
Monday to Thursday: 6pm-12am
Friday: 6pm-2am
Weekends, July 4, and July 21: 2pm-12am

Tags: 2009 liberation day carnival, Culture, Events, guam carnival, guam event, guam liberation, guam liberation day, guam liberation day carnival, liberation day carnival

Chamorro’s can be proud they now have an official Chamorro dictionary to call their own as of Monday.  There was an unveiling ceremony at the Chamorro Village in Hagatna yesterday for the island’s first Chamorro dictionary where a limited number of copies were sold to the public for $50.

The Chamorro dictionary is the most comprehensive one ever created of the Chamorro language containing 9,000 Chamorro words complete with English definitions, sentence examples, and grammatical notes.

Only 3,000 copies of the Chamorro dictionary were printed on the first run due to limited funding, but as more of the dictionaries are sold the profits will be used to make more copies with a goal of getting the Chamorro dictionary into public schools for the children.  Copies of the dictionary can be purchased at the Department of Chamorro Affairs office at the Chamorro Village.

Tags: chamorro, chamorro dictionary, chamorro language, guam dictionary, guam language, official chamorro dictionary

Pa’a Taotao Tano will be holding its 7th Annual Dinana Minagof Chamorro Dance Competition and Festival on June 27-28 between 9am-5pm at the Sister Roberta Center, Mercy Heights in Perezville, Tamuning.  The event will feature traditional Chamorro cultural groups from the islands of Guam, Saipan, Rota and Tinian who will be competing in various dance categories for prizes.

In addition there will be special daily performances by ‘Ko Au’, a cultural performance group from New Zealand; and local Chamorro arts and crafts will be displayed and available for purchase.

Admission into the event is $10 for adults and $5 for children who are 12 and younger.  There is also a group pass which is good for up to 4 people for only $20.

Tags: chamorro arts, chamorro culture, chamorro dance, guam dance, paa taotao tano

The Taste of Guam food and beverage festival is being held today at the Hyatt Regency Guam between 5pm to 10pm and is open to everyone.  If you love food or just want to experience Guam’s local cuisine from popular restaurants and chefs from around the island you can’t miss this event.  This is only the second year in which the Taste of Guam is being held and it seems to be growing in popularity.  This year there are 23 exhibitors offering dishes, fresh locally grown fruits and vegetables from the Farmer’s Market, live entertainment, and cooking demonstrations by the Micronesian Chef’s Association members.

Admission into the event is free but you will need to purchase at least a $20 booklet of tickets which can be used to buy food and drinks from the various vendors at the event.

Tags: chamorro food, chamorro recipe, Food, guam recipe, taste of guam

If you were asleep at 1:00am this morning you might have been awaken by your bed shaking.  At around 1:00am this morning a 5.5 magnitude earthquake rattled Guam.  The news didn’t report any structural damage or injuries on the island due to the earthquake.  The epicenter of the earthquake was located about 50 miles northeast of Hagatna Guam.

Tags: guam earthquake

The village of Agat will be hosting the 3rd Annual Mango Festival at Nimitz Beach Park between June 26-28, 2009 for the entire island of Guam to participate.  There will be a number of events, activities, food vendors, exhibits, and entertainment throughout the three day festival for everyone to enjoy.

Some of the highlighted events include the 5k Mango Run/Walk which takes place on Saturday June 20th, the Little Miss & Mister Mango Festival on June 27th, a paddle race on the 27th and 28th, and a mango cookoff.  In addition there will be a number of vendors serving food which incorporate the mango in one way or another in the dishes.  This is just a few of the things going on at the festival so if you would like to experience it all first-hand why not head on over to the village of Agat in southern Guam.  The festival is a great way for tourists and visitors to experience the islands culture and its people.  For more information feel free to check out the festival’s website at: http://www.mangofestivalgu.com

Tags: agat mango festival, guam festival, guam mango festival

The price of gas on Guam is going up as Shell Guam raised the price of unleaded gas by 10 cents yesterday.  Regular unleaded gas at Shell gas stations is now $3.24 per gallon, and premium gas costs $3.54 per gallon of gas – a 12 cents increase from the previous price.

The island has two other gas companies which are Mobil and 76 Stations, but because the gas stations on Guam usually mirror each other’s gas prices residents will also probably see a rise in gas prices at the other stations.

Tags: guam gas, guam gas price, guam gas prices

Every year Guam celebrates Liberation Day with fireworks, festivities, a parade, and of course the Liberation Carnival at Paseo Park.  Liberation Day is a local holiday which is celebrated on July 21st and is one of the biggest holidays on the island.

Liberation Day celebrates the liberation of the island from Japanese  occupation by American forces during World War II.  The Liberation Day Parade is a one day event where floats, various military branches, personnel, and veterans;  and local community clubs and government officials march down Marine Drive.  The Guam Liberation Carnival will open to the public on June 24 and usually stays open for a few weeks.  Booths and concession stands with games and food make up the carnival;  people can also enjoy various carnival rides as well.

If your vacationing on the island your more than welcome to share in the enjoyment with all the festivities happening around Liberation Day.  Come on down to watch the Liberation Day Parade along Marine Drive on June 21st, watch the fireworks at night, and then make sure to visit the Liberation Carnival at Paseo Park.  Friends, family, tourists, and locals – all are welcome to have some fun!

Tags: guam liberation carnival, guam liberation day, guam liberation fireworks, guam liberation parade