Previous Story
2017 Flame Tree Festival to start tomorrow
The four-day 2017 Flame Tree Festival is scheduled to start this Thursday, April 20.
According to Blue Continent Communication vice president Gary Sword, there is much to expect from this year’s improved version of the festival, which has relocated to the Garapan Fishing Base.
This year’s festival will include many new activities for those who will come out and take part in the festivities.
Sword shared that this year’s festivities will include a new segment called an audio-visual showcase. The showcase will be featuring films made by local artists from the high schools around Saipan such as Marianas High School and Mount Carmel School.
There will also be indigenous storytellers that will be present in this year’s Flame Tree festivities. These storytellers will share stories pertaining to the indigenous Chamolinian culture.
This year’s Flame Tree Festival will consist of 55 booths. Sword said 35 of the booths will showcase local artists and their work. The other 20 will be food vendors. This year, there will be a dedicated booth specifically for local foods.
There will be two special school performances from the island of Guam and one special school performance from the island of Palau.
According to Sword, there will also be master carvers that will be there to showcase their talents in carving cultural pieces.
This year, community members are to expect a special opening from sailors of the Sakman. Sakman is an indigenous canoe that will be sailed to Saipan all the way from the island of Guam. Sakman sailors are currently on the island of Rota and will arrive on Saipan for the opening night of the festivities.
The entire community is welcome to join the festivities and to enjoy all the cultural artists. The opening night of the 2017 Flame Tree Festival will be tomorrow, April 20.
