Panagbenga Festival

Panagbenga - a Kankanaey word meaning the season of blooming - was created in the 1990s to help Baguio recover economically and psychologically from the 1990 earthquake that devastated the city, and it has grown into the largest annual event in northern Luzon. It runs through February with a programme of exhibitions and performances, building to the last weekend: a street-dancing parade of school contingents in flower-inspired costume on the Saturday, and the grand float parade on the Sunday, when floats covered entirely in fresh flowers - Benguet is the country's cut-flower centre - move down Session Road and along Harrison. Afterwards Session Road is closed to traffic for a week and given over to a street fair of stalls and food. Baguio's population multiplies during the festival, hotel prices with it, and the roads up from the lowlands back up for hours.

What's there

• The float parade - floats covered in fresh Benguet flowers.
• The street dancing - school contingents in flower costume.
• Session Road in Bloom - the closed street given over to stalls.
• The month programme - exhibitions and performances through February.

When to go

February, with the two parades on the final weekend. Arrive well before - accommodation books out months ahead and prices multiply.

Practical notes

Baguio is overwhelmed during Panagbenga: traffic on the roads up is severe, hotels are full and expensive, and the parade route is packed hours in advance. Grandstand tickets sell out early.

Nearby

Burnham Park, Camp John Hay and Tam-awan Village are all in the city; the Bell Church is at its northern edge.