San Jose Fiesta 2000

It’s bound to be the biggest Tinian San Jose fiesta ever.

Cranking up combined resources, the Tinian Mayor’s office, the Tinian Municipal Council, the Tinian Legislative Delegation, the Tinian Hotel Dynasty Hotel and Casino, and other private institutions have joined forces to make this year’s fiesta top even the most successful millennium event since the Y2K transition.

The estimated budget for the four-day festivities alone would reveal how grand this year’s celebration is.

Phillip Mendiola-Long, spokesperson for the Tinian Mayor’s Office, said the budget is seen to reach somewhere around $30,000, surpassing any amount Tinian leaders have allotted for the event in the past years.

The construction of the fiesta site took up a significant share in the overall budget, said Mr. Long.

Taking 30 workers doing eight hours of intensive labor a day in a span of two to three weeks is a big cost, he added.

“Some revenues that would be expended would be local revenues and not CNMI revenues. We realize that the CNMI budget is very tight and the Mayor’s office even had to cut hours so we don’t have to use CNMI funds for operations,” Mr. Long said.

The San Jose Fiesta Committee, the first ever organized group to spearhead fiesta plans, expects more people to join in the festivities this year.

A celebration all its own

Carnival and other amusement rides, an agriculture fair, and tons of live entertainment are the main attractions of Tinian’s most celebrated event.

All these are set to occur simultaneously in one centralized setting at Tinian’s Park 2000 at the convenience of avid fiesta-goers.

Tinian Municipal Council Executive Director Janet King said home-grown talents as well as professional entertainers from all over the CNMI and Guam will perform in the nightly main events during the four-day fiesta.

Another highlight to look forward to, according to Ms. King, is the fiesta carnival which has been absent in all Tinian fiestas since 1997.

Tinian’s agriculture fair, a separate event which normally happens every end of April, will now be incorporated with the fiesta.

“This would create a bigger event for people. More reasons to celebrate,” said Ms. King.
The fair will feature livestock and fresh produce from Tinian local farms at the fiesta’s kick-off day on Thursday.

What sets this fiesta apart from others celebrated in the past years is the amount of coordination, time and effort Tinian leaders have gathered within months of preparation, according to Ms. King.

Boxing and other sports events

For the first time, Tinian has gone all-out to celebrate its annual fiesta by including a special boxing exhibition and competition featuring boxers from Saipan, Tinian, and Guam.

Co-sponsored by the Tinian Dynasty Hotel and Casino, this one event alone is expected to draw over a thousand people. This will be held at the Tinian Gymnasium.

A professional boxer from Guam is scheduled to do an exhibition match against one of Tinian’s very own boxing giant.

Other sports competitions set to complement the long line of entertainment events during the fiesta include table tennis, baseball, cockfight derby, and softball.

Fiesta surprises

A fiesta wouldn’t be as festive without raffle draws and prizes. This year, raffle draw prizes range from lawn mowers, microwave oven, refrigerators, to cows, pigs, drinking water and others.

This annual raffle is considered to be one of the largest raffle draws in the CNMI where winners are picked every night, from Thursday to Sunday. The raffle drawing is also part of the traditional fundraising for San Jose fiesta, according to Ms. King.

The fiesta’s search for King and Queen is also part of a fundraising campaign where contestants who raise the most money bag the much-coveted titles.

The more the merrier

Over 5,000 people are expected to attend Tinian’s festal celebrations this year.
Despite reports that Tinian hotels and air transportation services are currently fully booked, the organizing committee is still inviting guests to take time to visit the island for this once a year event.

The Tinian Mayor’s Office is offering assistance to guests who are having difficulty acquiring overnight lodgings.

Visitors are also encouraged to take advantage of the one-way free ferry transportation to Tinian from Saipan. Passengers already have to shoulder the $20 fare from Tinian to Saipan, unless they patronize Tinian Dynasty Hotel and Casino by eating at the restaurants, spend $20 at the casino, or stay overnight at the hotel.

“What we’re trying to push to our visitors is that when they visit Saipan, they are visiting two destinations in one. While on Saipan and checked in on whatever hotel, they can just hop on a ferry and come over and visit a totally unique island like Tinian, spend the day, and go back to Saipan again,” said Mr. Long. “People who are discouraged can contact our office and I would be glad to help them make arrangements.”