Edison Square and the History Museum Have Two Ways to Celebrate Filipino Heritage

Tacoma has two free opportunities this month to celebrate Filipino American heritage, with gatherings that offer different ways into the story. One brings food, fashion, karaoke and games to South Tacoma Way. The other explores the connections between Filipino American communities, agricultural work and Washington history. Together, they offer a chance to spend time with neighbors while learning more about a community whose contributions extend well beyond the festival table.

First up is LASA: The Taste of Filipino Heritage, happening Saturday, October 10, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Edison Square, 5415 South Tacoma Way. Presented by Chef Myra Mageo, the third annual celebration brings together Filipino chefs, makers, artists and community members. Admission is free, and all ages are welcome, making it an easy option for families looking for a weekend outing.

Filipino food and specialty items will be available for purchase throughout the event, with the venue’s lineup including Erika Taste Test and Chef Lewis’s Adobo Smash, along with Chef Jan Parker’s Lakambini Food Truck. Fashion, karaoke, games and local vendors round out the celebration. That mix gives visitors several reasons to stop in, whether they’re coming for something to eat, browsing the vendors or making an afternoon of it.

The following week, Ani: The Harvest of History takes place Thursday, October 15, from 3 to 7 p.m. at the Washington State History Museum, 1911 Pacific Avenue. The free gathering is co-hosted by the museum and the Filipino American National Historical Society’s Greater Puget Sound chapter. Now in its third year, the commemoration explores how land and work connect generations of Filipino and Filipino American life.

This year’s participants include the Filipino American Community of the Yakima Valley, whose Wapato community hall was added to the National Register of Historic Places. A panel on Filipino American labor activism will feature Rey Pascua and members of the Itliong family. Organizers also plan to display historical objects from the Philippines, including a nineteenth-century cannon and a handsewn flag—bringing physical pieces of the past into a gathering about the people who carried that history forward.

Both events are open invitations to celebrate, learn and connect. Saturday offers a full day of food and culture in South Tacoma, while the museum gathering gives visitors a closer look at stories rooted in Washington’s communities and fields. Explore the LASA lineup at Edison Square and the museum’s October 15 program to decide where you’d like to start.