Filipino music, food, dance and cultural programming will return to Harvard Square on Oct. 11 as the Harvard Square Philippine American Alliance holds its fifth annual Filipino American Festival, this year with an 1980s-inspired celebration.
The free event will run from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Church Street Parking Lot in Harvard Square. It will be held alongside the Harvard Square Business Association’s 47th annual Oktoberfest and the HONK! Parade, with Monday, Oct. 12, set as the rain date.
The festival is presented by the Harvard Square Philippine American Alliance, or HSPAA, in partnership with the Harvard Square Business Association. It is part of Filipino American History Month observances and is intended to showcase Filipino culture, history and community in one of Massachusetts’ best-known public gathering places.
The program will feature guest performers Gabby Concepcion, Jam Morales, Rachel Ann Wolfe, DJ Lady Char and emerging singer Elmer Abapo. Organizers said the lineup will bring music and memories associated with the 1980s to the Harvard Square celebration.
Festivalgoers can expect live music, cultural dance and performances, Filipino food vendors, a Filipino beer garden, cultural displays, community organizations, exhibitors and family-friendly activities. A Harvard Square “Sari-Sari Store” is also planned as part of the event’s nostalgic theme.
Visitors will also be able to take part in the HONK! Parade, an annual gathering of mobile street bands that culminates in Harvard Square during the broader Oktoberfest celebration. The 2026 HONK! Festival is scheduled for Oct. 9 through Oct. 11, and its final-day parade is expected to merge into Harvard Square’s Oktoberfest activities.
“This year, we are turning up the nostalgia with an exciting 1980s-inspired Filipino celebration,” the organizers said in an announcement. “From the music and performers to the food, cultural traditions and Sari-Sari Store, guests can expect an experience that is both nostalgic for Filipinos and exciting for anyone discovering Filipino culture for the first time.”
HSPAA founder and president Cathy Uy said the festival began in 2022 as the first Filipino American Festival in Harvard Square and has since grown into an annual event that reaches beyond the Filipino American community.
“Filipino American culture belongs in the heart of Harvard Square,” Uy said. “When we started this festival in 2022, we wanted to create something that would bring people together and proudly share who we are as Filipino Americans. Five years later, it has become a celebration that reaches far beyond our Filipino community.”
The 2026 gathering is expected to attract thousands of attendees, organizers said. The event is open to Filipino and non-Filipino visitors alike.
Harvard Square’s Oktoberfest is scheduled for the same day, Oct. 11, with the Harvard Square Business Association listing Oct. 12 as its rain date. The broader event traditionally includes vendors, food, live music and beer gardens.
For media, sponsorship, vendor or general inquiries, contact the Harvard Square Philippine American Alliance at contact@hspaa.org or 617-259-8678.
