Borjas, MHS Class ’86 win festival tourneys

The Marianas High School Class of 1986 bagged first place in the float competition of this year’s Flame Tree Arts Festival. Taking second place was the Inatuas Dance Troupe, while the Borja family’s Traditional Bull Cart bagged third place.

The Borja family led by Rosa Borja was the biggest winner in the festival competition after they bagged prizes in both the float competition and the booth category. The Borjas bagged first place in the booth competition, taking home a $500 grand prize. They took home a $200 prize for their win in the float competition.

Other winners in the booth competition were: Carmen Kaipat, who romped off with the second place; and Catherine Bowen in third place.

The festival winners were announced during a drizzly Sunday afternoon. Despite the rain, people didn’t leave the program venue as presenters such as the Falun Dafa Association, Korean Association and local bands played modern and local songs that provided entertainment for the rest of the afternoon.

The Flame Tree Festival scored the highest turnout of visitors and spectators Saturday night, with thousands of people enjoying the program that night.

Beach Road from the Carolinian Utt to the American Memorial Park was blocked for at least an hour Saturday morning when the 25th Flame Tree Arts Festival held its Parade of Cultures. In all, four floats and six groups joined this year’s parade festivities, which attracted over 200 parade participants and delegates.

Kagman Elementary School, the Inatuas Dance Troupe, Marianas High School Class of 1986, and the Traditional Bull Cart competed in the float category.

Office on Aging, Jaluit High School of the Marshall Islands, Remetau, Rota, Guam and Palau delegations, meanwhile, comprised the group parade. CNMI community members and off-island visitors lined up along the sides of the road to take a closer look at parade participants, who all kept their composure despite the sweltering heat of the morning sun.

Last year, the parade was held as part of the opening ceremony of a three-day festival. Now that the celebration has been extended to four days, the committee had to move the parade to a Saturday to give way for those who had to work until late Thursday.

Following the parade was the symbolic sailing of a Carolinian canoe from the Carolinian Affairs Office all the way to the festival venue by Micro Beach. Free rides on the canoe were also provided right after the ceremony.

The festival started last Thursday night and all roads led to the American Memorial Park, as more than a thousand people attended the first night of the festival. Department of Community and Cultural Affairs Secretary Daisy Villagomez-Bier earlier told Saipan Tribune that she was surprised that the first night of the festival drew such a huge number of people, with the line of cars stretching as far as the Hafadai Hotel and DFS Saipan intersection.

She said the overwhelming turnout was due to the hard work and efforts of this year’s committee officers, including Art Council director Cecilia Taitano-Celes.

Villagomez-Bier said her team has done a tremendous job to make this year’s festival better and bigger. Cars lined up and filled the grounds of the American Memorial Park as early as 10am yesterday; in the afternoon more vehicles continued to drive in.

Visitors who have been trooping to the festival every year were amazed and impressed to find out that this year’s festival layout is bigger and wider. The festival spectators said the setup is more beautiful and bigger.