19th Annual Tinian Hot Pepper Festival just ‘pika’

The 19th Annual Tinian Hot Pepper Festival was held on Feb. 18-19, 2023, in San Jose, Tinian, in the Marianas. This event was organized by the Tinian Mayor’s Office and the Marianas Visitors Authority.(Photos by MVA)

“Pika” is a Chamorro word in the Marianas meaning either “spicy” or “excellent.” Both definitions apply to the festivities held on Feb. 18-19, 2023, at the 19th Annual Tinian Hot Pepper Festival, known as “Pika Fest” among locals. The festival pays homage to the island’s small but potent donni’ hot pepper.

The festival had a soft opening at 7pm last Feb. 17 with the posting of colors by the Tinian Jr./Sr. High School JROTC Color Guard, followed by remarks from Tinian Mayor Edwin Aldan and other dignitaries. Activities included food sales, live entertainment, competitions, arts and crafts sales, and more.

Taking top honors in the Male and Female Hot Pepper Eating Contests were Tim Rolle and Jessica Cabrera, respectively. Luis B. Mundo served up the best spicy chicken to win the “kadun pika” cooking contest. The Pika Burger Eating Contest winning title was captured by Patrick Chance. David Bamba and Dolores Palacios took home the top cha-ching cash award for their cha-cha moves. The San Jose Parish Crusaders tore through the competition to win the tug-of-war contest. Crawling slowly to finish first in the “Umang” (hermit crab) Race were the entries of Galyug Untalan in the Boys Division and Lilliyana Moreno in the Girls Division. The Karaoke queen for the youth was Jeriah Ann Cruz, while Colleen Cing took the title in the adult division. Fresku kept it fresh, garnering first place in the booth decorating competition. All contest winners received cash prizes.

“We express our profound gratitude to all our distinguished guests, off-island visitors, participating booth vendors, and most especially the sponsors for making the 19th Annual Tinian Hot Pepper Festival a success!” said Aldan. “This year’s festival would not have been possible without your generous donations and in-kind contributions to the Tinian Mayor’s Office. Every one of you played an important role in making this year’s Tinian Hot Pepper ‘Pika’ Festival a success through your participation, enthusiasm, and contributions. We hope everyone enjoyed the festivities, and we look forward to welcoming you all again next year! Thank you yan un dangkulu na si yu’us ma’ase.”

Tinian Mayor Edwin Aldan welcomed festivalgoers on Feb. 17, 2023, at the opening ceremony of the 19th Annual Tinian Hot Pepper Festival on Feb. 18 in San Jose, Tinian, in the Marianas.

Honors for best decorated booth went to Fresku at the 19th Annual Tinian Hot Pepper Festival, held on Feb. 18-19, 2023, in San Jose, Tinian, in the Marianas.

Winners of the karaoke contests claim their prizes at the 19th Annual Tinian Hot Pepper Festival, held on Feb. 17, 2023, in San Jose, Tinian, in the Marianas. From left to right, Jeriah Ann Cruz, Letricia Palacios, Serenity Luzman, Payton Christian, Colleen Cing, Joan Oliverio, and Dillion Hee.

The San Jose Parish Crusaders tugged the hardest to top the tug-of-war contest at the 19th Annual Tinian Hot Pepper Festival, held on Feb. 18-19, 2023, in San Jose, Tinian, in the Marianas.

Competition for the best “kadun pika,” a spicy chicken dish, was held at the 19th Annual Tinian Hot Pepper Festival, held on Feb. 18-19, 2023, in San Jose, Tinian, in the Marianas.

The crowd participates in a group dance at the 19th Annual Tinian Hot Pepper Festival, held on Feb. 18-19, 2023, in San Jose, Tinian, in the Marianas.

The event is organized this year by the Office of the Mayor of Tinian and Aguiguan with support from the Marianas Visitors Authority. Additional sponsors were Saipan Marine Stevedore, Tan Siu Lin Foundation, DOCOMO Pacific, CNMI FPA Corp., Tinian Ice & Water Bottling Co., Black Micro Corp., Marpac Inc., Triple J Enterprise, Tinian Fuel Services, Tinian Shipping LLC, and Pacific Engineering Group & Services. The event was also supported by Karma Tent and Table Rental, Kana’s Rental, Susan Perez House Rentals, Star Marianas Air, Inc., JC Café Restaurant, Eagles Enterprise, Commonwealth Utilities Corp., Telesource CNMI Inc., and 168 Poker.

The annual Tinian Hot Pepper Festival is traditionally held on President’s Day weekend in February. (MVA)