Colors in Bloom at SM: A Celebration of Culture, Art, and Tradition

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

The spirit of Panagbenga 2025 has taken full bloom, bringing a vibrant fusion of art, culture, and tradition to SM City Baguio. More than just a festival of flowers, this year’s celebration showcased the creativity, history, and identity of the Cordilleras through dazzling performances, colorful installations, and immersive experiences.

A Tribute to Art and Legacy

One of the most striking tributes of the festival was a stunning lightning bolt artwork, carefully crafted from brilliant yellow and blue tile fragments. This masterpiece honored the late Baguio-based photographer and artist Kidlat de Guia, a visionary whose impact on Philippine art continues to inspire.

The Mighty Bhutens Art Exhibit was another highlight, featuring works by Kabunyan de Guia, Guiller Lagac, and Oliver Olivete. Inspired by National Artist Kidlat Tahimik, their playful yet profound pieces captured the heart of Cordilleran artistry.

Feast for the Senses: Food, Crafts, and Culinary Delights

No festival is complete without a gastronomic adventure, and Panagbenga 2025 delivered with the Food Truck Fest at The Drive. A haven for foodies, the event showcased mouthwatering creations from local MSMEs, highlighting the rich flavors of Baguio and beyond.

Complementing the culinary experience was the Food and Crafts Fair, which ran from February 17 to March 3. Artisans and entrepreneurs displayed handcrafted treasures, from intricate accessories to delightful local delicacies—making it the perfect stop for unique pasalubong.

Bringing Art to Life

The festival’s Painting Competition invited artists of all ages to immortalize Panagbenga’s beauty on canvas. Meanwhile, the Family Art Day fostered creativity and togetherness, as families painted and crafted their own Panagbenga-inspired masterpieces.

Students from different schools also took part in a sustainability-driven arts and crafts activity, repurposing past festival decors into new artistic creations, merging tradition with eco-conscious innovation.

A Celebration of Culture and Rhythm

The beating heart of Panagbenga 2025 was its cultural performances, where local groups such as Day Eng Cultural Group, University of Baguio BIBAK Ubbun Kaafuan, Paggawisan Tako Am-In from UP Baguio, and Gawis Culture and Arts Ensemble captivated audiences with their rhythmic music and traditional dances.

Meanwhile, the Blooming Weaves Fashion Show and Exhibit showcased the rich textile heritage of the Cordilleras, featuring masterful creations from the Fashion Designers Alliance Cordillera. This spectacular display blended indigenous weaving techniques—like backstrap weaving, pedal loom weaving, and ikat dyeing—with modern sustainable fashion.

Adding to the immersive cultural experience, master weaver Cathy Ekid from Bontoc led a weaving workshop, sharing the intricacies of traditional weaving and allowing mall-goers to try their hand at the craft.

Paw-some Moments and Community Spirit

Panagbenga 2025 also made room for its furriest festival-goers with Pawstival, a fun-filled event where pet lovers and their furry friends strutted their style in an exciting costume contest. This heartwarming gathering proved that the festival was truly for everyone—including four-legged companions.

A Grand Spectacle of Lights and Flowers

The festival reached its grand finale with the highly anticipated Grand Float Parade on February 23. Forty-four magnificent floats, each intricately decorated with floral artistry, paraded through the streets, leaving onlookers in awe. As a Hall-of-Famer, SM City Baguio presented a non-competing entry, embodying this year’s theme, Blossoms Beyond Boundaries, with a breathtaking design inspired by nature’s bounty.

The night sky then lit up with a dazzling fireworks display, while glowing floral and light installations turned the mall into a dreamlike wonderland, perfectly capturing the magic of Panagbenga.

Blossoming Beyond Boundaries

More than just a festival, Panagbenga 2025 at SM City Baguio was a celebration of community, creativity, and cultural pride. From visual arts to culinary delights, from heritage performances to contemporary fashion, the festival reflected the richness of the Cordilleras—honoring tradition while embracing new expressions of creativity.

With every stroke of paint, every beat of the drum, and every woven thread, the message was clear: the colors of Panagbenga will continue to bloom, uniting generations through the beauty of art, culture, and celebration.

#ColorsInBloomAtSM #Panagbenga2025 #BlossomsBeyondBoundaries

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