Bacolod City‘s Masskara Festival
Panaad Festival
Major festivals in each of the Municipalities and Cities in Negros Occidental are featured during the Pana-ad sa Negros Festival staged every April at the 25-hectare tree-lined Pana-ad Stadium in Bacolod City. Pana-ad, dubbed as the “Festival of Festivals”, brings together the 13 cities and 19 townships in a display case of history, arts and culture, tourism, trade, commerce and industry, beauty and talent as well as games and funs.
Herewith are the List of Festivals in the Province of Negros Occidental.
Bacoloadiat Festival
BACOLOD CITY
- Feast of San Sebastian (January 20)
- Panaad sa Negros Festival (April)
- Charter Anniversary & Masskara Festival (October 19)
- Bacolaodiat (Every Chinese New Year)
- Provincial Tourism Week (September 20-26)
How to get there:
It is an 18-hour cruise from Manila aboard To Go Ferry. Aboard fast sea crafts, Bacolod is one-hour from Iloilo City. By land-and-sea travel, it is 7-hour from Cebu City. Terminals for buses plying northern and southern Negros Occidental are located within Bacolod City.
Babaylan Festival. Photo credits: Ronnie Baldonado
BAGO CITY
- Charter Anniversary/Babaylan Festival (February 19)
- Al Cinco de Noviembre/Cannon Festival (November 5)
How to Get There
Bago City is a 20 to 30 minutes drive south of Bacolod City by private car. Public utility vehicles abound in this first stop over going south of the provincial capital. Car rental facilities are available through reservation. All roads leading to all barangays in the city are asphalted.
Balbagan Dance Festival
BINALBAGAN
- Feast of San Isidro Labrador and Balbagan Dance Festival (May 15)
How to Get There
Binalbagan is one-and-a-half hour ride from Bacolod City using public utility vehicles and one hour on private transport. Public transport is available through buses that are either air conditioned or non-air conditioned.
Dinagsa Festival
CADIZ CITY
- Feast of Sto. Nino/Dinagsa and Ati-atihan Festival (last Sunday of January)
- Charter Day (July 4)
How to Get There
Cadiz City is one-and-a-half hour drive north of Bacolod City by private car. Public utility vehicles reach the place in less than 90 minutes. Other north bound buses are also required to make stopover at the city terminal which is more than a kilometer away from the highway. Four and a half hour away from Cebu by land, Cadiz serves as a spring board to Cebu and from there to Eastern Visayas and Mindanao.
Lilas Pandan Costume
CALATRAVA
- Feast of St. Peter & Hudyaw in Lilas Pandan Festival (June 25-27)
How to Get There
Calatrava is a three-hour drive from Bacolod City by public utility vehicles and approximately two-and-a-half hours through private car. Aircon and non-aircon buses plying the northern Negros route pass by this area.
CANDONI
- Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes (February 6-11)
- Dinagyaw sa Tablas (February 11)
- Tabla Valley Founding Anniversary (August 12)
How to Get There
Candoni is located in the southern part of Negros Occidental. It is approximately three-and-a-half hour drive from Bacolod City aboard a public utility vehicle and about two hours and 45 minutes on a private car. From Bacolod City, buses are available at Bacolod South Terminal. From Kabankalan City, one can take the public utility jeepneys going to this town.
Lubay-Lubay
CAUAYAN
- Feast of St. Paul and Lubay-Lubay Festival (January 25)
How to Get There
Cauayan is approximately three-and-a-half hours drive from Bacolod City by public utility vehicles and about three hours by private car. Air conditioned and non-airconditioned buses are available at the Bacolod City South Terminal.
DON SALVADOR BENEDICTO
- Feast of Our Lady of Miraculous Medal (November 27)
- Founding Anniversary & Kali-kalihan Harvest Festival (February 9)
EB MAGALONA
- Feast of Sto. Niño (3rd of January)
- Feast of St. Joseph the Worker and Ugyonan Festival (May 1)
- Sinadya SA Banwa (2nd week of December)
How to Get There
E.B. Magalona is a 25-minute drive from Bacolod City by private car or 30 minutes by public utility vehicle plying northern Negros.
ESCALANTE CITY
- Charter Day (February 28)
- Balik Escalante (May 28)
- Manlambus Festival (May 30)
- Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, New Pob. (July 16)
- Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, Old Pob. (October 4)
- Paskuhan sa Escalante (December 16-23)
How to Get There
Escalante City is a two-and-a-half hour drive from Bacolod City. Public utility vehicles plying the northern Negros route pass by this city. From Cebu, Escalante can be reached by ferry boat through the Yap RORO Port or the Barcelon Port.
Fireworks of Hinigaran
HINIGARAN
- Hinugyaw Festival (April 22-30)
- Feast of St. Mary Magdalena (July 22)
- Fireworks & Agro Festival (every 2nd week of December)
How to Get There
Hinigaran is about an-hour-and-15 minute drive south of Bacolod City using public transport and one hour on private vehicles. Public utility vehicles plying the southern Negros route pass through the municipality, dubbed as “Gateway to Southern Negros”.
HINOBA-AN
- Pagbanaag Festival (April 24)
- Feast of St. Michael the Archangel (May 8-9)
How to Get There
Hinoba-an is about four-and-a-half hours drive from Bacolod City using public utility vehicles passing through the main highway. It is about three-and-a-half hour ride by private car. Buses going to this southernmost town are available at the Bacolod South Terminal.
Himayaan
HIMAMAYLAN CITY
- Himayaan Festival (April 24-29)
- Charter Day (March 31)
- Feast of Our Lady of Snows (August 5)
How to Get There
Himamaylan is about an hour and a half drive south of Bacolod City. Public utility vehicles plying the southern Negros route pass through this city.
Kisi-Kisi Festival. Photo credits: Ronnie Baldonado
ILOG
- Feast of Sto. Niño & Kisi-kisi Festival (March 25)
How to Get There
Ilog can be reached through public utility vehicles in about two-and-a-half hours. By private transport, it is about two hours ride south of Bacolod City through the main highway.
Tigkalalag Festival.Photo Credits: Ronnie Baldonado
ISABELA
- Mayflower Festival (May)
- Feast of St. Nicholas de Tolentino (September 10)
- Tigkalalag Festival (November 2)
How to Get There
Isabela is over an hour’s drive from Bacolod City by private car and nearly two hours using public utility vehicles, available at the Bacolod South Terminal.
Udyakan Festival: Photo credits:Ronnie Baldonado
Sinulog de Kabankalan
KABANKALAN CITY
- Feast of Sr. Sto. Nino & Sinulog Festival (3rd Sunday of January)
- Udyakan sa Kabankalan & Charter Day (July 27-August 2)
- Christmas Carol Presentation (December 16-24)
How to Get There
Kabankalan is less than two hours drive south of Bacolod city by private car while public utility vehicles reach the place in about two hours. The city, which serves as the center of economic activities in southern Negros, is also the take-off point for various destinations down south, and links the province to Dumaguete City, capital of nearby Negros Oriental via Kabankalan-Mabinay.
Bailes de Luces. Photo credits: Ronnie Baldonado
LA CASTELLANA
- Feast of St. Vincent & Banana Festival (April 1-5)
- Bailes de Luces (December 30-January 5)
How to Get There
La Castellana is approximately one-and-a-half hour’s drive from Bacolod City using public utility vehicles and about an hour by private car. Jeepneys and buses are available at the Bacolod South Terminal.
LA CARLOTA CITY
- Feast of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage (January 24)
- Kalbaryo (Good Friday)
- Pasalamat Festival (Last Sunday nearest to May)
- Christmas Festival of Lights and Music (December 15)
How to Get There
La Carlota City is approximately a one-hour drive from Bacolod by private car and a little more than an hour in public utility jeepneys and buses via the main highway. The place can also be reached via the interior barangays of Bago City in about 40 to 50 minutes.
Manang Pula
MANAPLA
- Feast of San Roque (August 16)
- Manang Pula/Pinta Puto Festival
How to Get There
Manapla is approximately 55 minutes’ drive from Bacolod City by private car and over an hour by public utility vehicles that take off from Bacolod North Terminal. Air conditioned and non-airconditioned taxis, vans and buses for hire are also available from Bacolod.Manang Pula Festival (August 15-16)
Manang Pula.Photo credits: Ronnie Baldonado
MOISES PADILLA
- Magayon Festival (Last week of March)
- Feast of San Isidro Labrador (May 15)
- Pasundayag sa Tigkalalag (November 1)
How to Get There
Moises Padilla is about two hour’s drive from Bacolod City by public utility vehicles and approximately one-hour-and-a-half by private car. Buses, taxis and other public utility vehicles are plying this area from the Bacolod South Terminal.
Tinabuay, Murcia
MURCIA
- Feast of Immaculate Conception and Tinabuay Festival (December 8)
How to Get There
Murcia is only a 20-minute drive from Bacolod City by private car. Public utility vehicles plying this route can reach the municipality in about the same time.
PONTEVEDRA
- Annual Festival & Feast of St. Michael the Archangel (May 6-9)
How to Get There
Pontevedra is approximately a 45-minute drive from Bacolod City towards the south by private car and an hour in public utility jeepneys and buses via the main highway.
PULUPANDAN
- Foundation Day (January 12)
- Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes (February 10-11)
- Feast of Sta. Filomena/Salapan Festival (February 15)
- Lighting of Christmas Tree (December)
How to Get There
Pulupandan is approximately a 30-minute drive from Bacolod City by private car and a little more than 45 minutes in public utility vehicles and buses via the main highway.
Bulang-bulang Festival. Photo Credits: Ronnie Baldonado
SAN ENRIQUE
- Feast of Our Lady of Candelaria and Bulang-bulang Festival (February 2-9)
How to Get There
San Enrique is approximately 40 minutes drive from Bacolod City by private car and a little more than an hour by public utility vehicle via the main highway. All vehicles plying the southern routes pass through this municipality.
Sinigayan Festival
SAGAY CITY
- Feast of St. Joseph and Sinigayan Festival (March 19)
- Feast of San Vicente Ferrer, Vito (May 1-2)
- Charter Day (June 11)
- Christmas Fair (2nd week of December until Christmas)
How to Get There
Sagay City is a two-hour drive from Bacolod City. Public utility vehicles plying the northern Negros route pass by this progressive city. From Cebu, one can reach Sagay via Toledo in about four hours including a one-hour ride in fast ferries.
Pintaflores Festival
SAN CARLOS CITY
- Charter Day (July 1)
- Pintaflores Festival (November 5)
- Feast of St. Charles Borromeo (November 4)
How to Get There
San Carlos City can be reached in four hours through the coastal highway and about two-and-half-hours through the Negros Translink Highway. With its natural harbor, San Carlos is also the take-off point to Cebu with fast crafts reaching Toledo in an hour.
Hugyaw Festival. Photo Credits: Ronnie Baldonado
SILAY CITY
- Charter Anniversary/Hugyaw Festival (June 12)
- Feast of San Diego de Alcala (November 13)
- Negros Revolution Anniversary (November 5)
How to Get There
Silay City can be reached in 15 minutes by private car from Bacolod City. Public utility vehicles plying the route abound and can reach the city at the same time. Silay is the site of the new airport of international standard. Traveling to the city is made easier by its four-lane highway.
The Pasaway Sa Sipalay is coined from the word “saway” meaning copper. Pasaway sa Sipalay features street dancing and merry making with performers attired in Mardi Gras and exotic costumes using indigenous and recycled materials with gold and copper-like materials symbolizing the minerals abundant in the place.
SIPALAY CITY
- Pasaway sa Sipalay (March 31)
- Feast of Sacred Heart of Jesus and Handurawan Festival (December 20)
How to Get There
Sipalay is almost four hours drive south of Bacolod City by public utility vehicle and over three hours by private car. Public utility vehicles plying the southern Negros route pass by this city. All roads leading to this southernmost city are fully asphalted.
TOBOSO
- Feast of St. Anthony de Padua (June 13)
- Charter Day & Sag-ahan Festival (July 1)
How to Get There
Toboso can be reached in about three hours and 15 minutes by public utility vehicles and approximately two hours and 45 minutes by private car via the coastal highway. Aircon and non-aircon buses plying the northern Negros route pass through this area in several trips daily.
Minuluan Festival
TALISAY CITY
- Charter Day & Pasidungog Festival (February 11)
- Feast of San Nicholas de Tolentino and Minulu-an Festival (September 8-10)
- Lanzones Festival (First week of October)
How to Get There
As the first city going north of Bacolod, Talisay can be reached in 10-15 minutes by private car and about the same time by public utility vehicles.
VALLADOLID
- Pasundayag Festival (February 28)
- Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe (December 12)
- Paskwa sa Dolid (December 12-31)
How to Get There
Valladolid is approximately a 35-minute drive from Bacolod City by private car and 45 minutes by public utility vehicles via the main highway.
Victorias City
VICTORIAS CITY
- Kadalag-an Festival & Charter Day (March 21)
- Feast of Our Lady of Victory & Malihaw Festival (April 26)
How to Get There
Considered as the sugar capital of Negros Occidental, Victorias can be reached in 40 to 45 minutes from Bacolod City either by private car or public utility
NEGROS OCCIDENTAL 