2024 Liberation Day begins June 15

Saipan Mayor Ramon B. Camacho and the 2024 Liberation Day Committee are pleased to announce that Liberation Day festivities will run from June 15 to July 6.

The carnival grounds are located at the Garapan Fishing Base and will be in operation on Fridays and Saturdays from 6pm to 11pm. On Sundays the carnival will operate from 6pm to 10pm.

The Saipan Mayor’s Office welcomes the community to participate as food, games, retail vendors, and concessionaires. The deadline for application is May 31.

The July 4 Liberation Day Parade starts at National Office Supply and heads north to Garapan Fishing Base. Interested parties must apply to participate in the float competition by June 14 at 4pm at the latest. The four float competition categories are: school, precinct, business, and non-profit. The grand prize for the float competition is $5,000.

Applications for both the parade and the vendors/concessionaires are available at the Saipan Mayor’s Office or online at https://saipanmayor.cnmi.gov/services/liberation-day-committee/ For assistance regarding parade and vendor applications, call (670) 234-6208.

Aside from the fun and games of the Liberation Festivities, three young island women are vying for the title of Liberation Day Queen. The contestants in this year’s Liberation Day Royal Court are Chariane Cabrera Dabney, Xeayda Manglona, and Nakisha Celis.

Dabney, a 17-year-old from Capital Hill who will graduate from Kagman High School at the end of this month, said she wants the experience of the Liberation Royal Court to be her first taste of pageantry.

“I think this experience will prepare me for the future, knowing that I would like to participate in the Miss Marianas pageant,” Dabney said.

Manglona, a 19-year-old University of Guam student and president of a student organization comprising CNMI students at UOG, is the candidate from Rota.

“It’s all about representation for me,” Manglona said. “Since we’re so small a lot of the youth on Rota think we can’t do the same as the other islands and I really want to change that image.”

As for Celis, a 17-year-old Saipan Southern High School student, she said the experience is about personal growth.

“I joined to be able to experience it, knowing it’s my first time. I want to get out of my comfort zone and encourage others to join as well,” Celis said.

Bridget Maratita- Deleon Guerrero, the Liberation Day Committee for Parade chair, said that aside from the opportunity to be the Liberation Queen and participate in this year’s Liberation Day parade, the winning candidate will travel to Guam to participate in the Liberation Day festivities there in late July and to participate in on-island and off-island activities. (PR)