The 359 out of 402 kiosks across four MassKara Festival sites in Bacolod City have already been sold out and reserved, the Bacolod Yuhum Foundation (BYF) announced on Thursday, Oct. 10.
Marking its 45th year, the world-renowned festival will kick off with the Grand Salubong on Friday.
The 100 of 143 kiosks at Lacson Street have already been sold, while 100 kiosks at the Bacolod City Government Center, 55 at Megaworld’s The Upper East and 104 around the Bacolod Public Plaza were booked even before the festival’s official announcement, Kuster Cadagat, BYF Secretary and Festival Director for Cultural and Accredited Events, said.
Cadagat said the directive of Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez, through Councilor Celia Flor, Chairperson of the Committee on Markets, was to ensure “equal opportunity” for all vendors, concessionaires and corporate sponsors participating in this year’s festivities.
“We were given specific instructions by the mayor. The BYF is committed to treating all participants fairly, whether they are large businesses or small enterprises,” Cadagat said.
Kiosks at the BCGC will officially open on October 11, while those at the Public Plaza will start their operations on October 12.
Stalls assigned at Megaworld will open on October 23 and Lacson Street on October 25.
Interested vendors can still reserve a kiosk on Lacson Street, Cadagat added.
This year’s kiosks have been upgraded to 10 ft x 10 ft, offering ample room for vendors to accommodate guests and showcase their products, he said.*