It’s that time of year again on the island of Guam – mango season!  If you already haven’t noticed (or even had a chance to taste) all the delicious red and yellow mangos hanging from the trees around the island then this weekend is your chance to experience the popular Guam fruit which so many locals enjoy.  The village of Agat will be hosting the 4th Annual Agat Mango Festival 2010 this Saturday, June 12 and Sunday, June 13.

Mango season on Guam has become very popular as the island’s local farmers grow and produce many varieties of mangos with slightly different tastes and textures.  The variety of mangos on the island include names such as the Banana mango, Piko mango, Hawaiian mango, Carabao mango, Apple mango, Malaysian mango, Saipan mango, Peach mango, and many more varieties and cross-breeds of the mango.

Mango season on Guam usually starts around the month of March when all the mango trees start bearing the delicious fruit which start off as a green color when not yet ripe.  By the time the fruit becomes ripe most start displaying a rich yellow or red color at which time they become sweet to the taste.  There are a wide variety of mango recipes which local islanders have for both the sour, unripened green mangos and the sweet-tasting ripened red/yellow mangos on the island.  The yearly Agat Mango Festival offers tourists and visitors to the island a chance to experience all these mango recipes and dishes, so be sure to check it out this coming weekend.

In addition to all the mangos, the Agat Mango Festival will have various events and competitions which include a cooking competition, the 5k run, raffle prizes, the Little Miss Mango event, and a competition promoting various types of mangos.

Unlike previous years where the mango festival was held at the Nimitz Beach Park, this year the Agat Mango Festival will be held at the Sagan Bisita in Agat.  The mangos are waiting for you, so come out an join the rest of Guam at the Annual Agat Mango Festival happening this weekend!

Topics: agat guam, agat mango festival, agat village, guam event, guam festival, guam fruits, guam mango festival, guam mango season, guam mangos, sagan bisita

As the month of April gets closer you hear more and more about this years’ annual Talofofo Banana Festival which will be taking place in the village of Talofofo at Ipan Beach Park! Village Mayor Vicente Taitague and the villagers of Talofofo have been preparing for the event which will be held between April 23 to April 25 for both locals and tourist to experience locally grown bananas, banana recipes and food. The annual festival is also a great event for tourists to come out and experience the southern area of Guam, the village of Talofofo, and the warm hospitality of the people of Guam.

If you want to take part in the event as a vendor or concession stand during the Talofofo Banana Festival you can contact the Talofofo Mayor’s Office at 671-789-1421.

Topics: Food, guam banana, guam banana festival, guam festival, ipan beach park, talofofo, talofofo banana festival, talofofo mayor, talofofo village, vicente taitague

The 2010 Tumon Bay Music Festival, sponsored by the Guam Territorial Band Society, is scheduled to take place between March 12-20, 2010 at three locations within Tumon which include Hyatt Regency Guam, St. John’s Episcopal Church, and the Ypao Beach Amphitheater.  If you have are a fan or just enjoy music you won’t want to miss the Tumon Bay Music Festival.  General admission is $15.00 and Student/Senior admission is $8.00.  See below for the full schedule:

Friday, March 12 – Opening Concert
Location – Grand Ballroom, Hyatt Regency Guam
Featuring the Guam Territorial Band – The Official Band of Guam, USA
Magis
El Nino Wind Orchestra

Saturday, March 13 – Solo Competitions
Location – St. John’s Episcopal Church
Session I: Small Ensemble 9:00am to 12:00pm
Session II: Vocal Solos 2:00pm to 5:00pm
Session III: Instrumental Solos 6:00pm to 9:00pm

Sunday, March 14 – Contemporary Christian Concert
Location – Ypao Amphitheater
10:00am to 2:00pm

Sunday, March 14 – Jazz, Rock and Everything Else
Location – Ypao Beach Amphitheater
3:00pm to 8:00pm

Monday, March 15 and Tuesday, March 16 – Winds and Strings Festival
Location – Grand Ballroom, Hyatt Regency Guam
6:00pm to 9:30pm

Wednesday, March 17 – Festival Showcase Concert
Location – St. John’s Episcopal Church
7:00pm

Thursday, March 18 and Friday March 19 – Choral and Handbell Festival
Location – St. John’s Episcopal Church
6:30pm to 9:30pm

Saturday, March 20 – Command Performances and Awards Ceremony
Location – Grand Ballroom, Hyatt Regency Guam
6:30pm – Command Performance Choir
7:00pm – Command Performance Winds/Strings
7:30pm – Festival Mass Choir – Randy Stenson, Conductor
8:00pm – Festival Wind Orchestra – Atsushi Ozawa, Conductor
8:30pm – Award Ceremony

Topics: guam band, guam festival, guam music festival, guam territorial band, guam territorial band society, Music, tumon, tumon bay music festival, ypao beach amphitheater

If you’ll be on Guam in the month of May and love traditional Chamorro dishes from Guam then don’t miss out on the Maila ta fan Boka Festival which is scheduled to take place in the month of May.  The Chamorro phrase “maila ta fan boka” means “come and let’s eat” in English – a suitable name for the festival which will be showcasing traditional dishes from the island of Guam.  The festival is scheduled to coincide with Tourism Month on Guam, which is the month of May.  It is sponsored by the Guam Visitors Bureau along with the Guam Community College, the Micronesian Chefs Association, and GHRA (Guam Hotel and Restaurants Association).   The actual date for the festival hasn’t been announced yet, but the tentative dates for the festival will be either on May 6 to 8, or May 20 to 22.  We’ll be posting more information about the festival as it becomes available so keep coming back for more announcements concerning the Maila ta fan Boka Festival 2010.

Topics: chamorro food, Food, ghra, guam festival, guam food festival, guam hotel and restaurants association, guam visitors bureau, gvb, maila ta fan boka, maila ta fan boka festival, micronesian chefs association

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

Topics: agat mango festival, guam festival, guam mango festival