More activities lined up this year for 8th Tinian Pika Festival

Besides making popular dishes extra hot and spicy, Tinian’s 8th Annual Pika or Hot Pepper Festival over the weekend is expected to spur economic activities on the island.

The yearly event, happening at Tachogna Beach on Feb. 18 and 19, is expected to attract over a thousand residents and tourists who will be taking part in the festivities that include cultural performances and other presentations as well as various contests such as crab race, volleyball tournaments, cooking contest, and the renowned hot pepper eating contest.

“Pika Festival is one of our main events and it continues to grow every year through word-of-mouth and through people who like to eat spicy stuff as our pepper, the donni sali, is one of the spiciest in the world,” Tinian Mayor Ramon M. Dela Cruz told Saipan Tribune.

The famous hot pepper, Dela Cruz said, also provides an economic opportunity especially for the island’s unemployed since picking donni sali and taking it to those who process it is a regular pastime for many.

“Pika Festival is an event where people who work and process the hot pepper have an opportunity to showcase their products,” he added.

Dela Cruz disclosed said that this year’s event will take hot and spicy to a whole new level as they plan to introduce an actual real hot pepper contest. Previous eating contests only involved putting hot peppers on a bowl of soba.

“We’ll put a bowl of fresh hot pepper and you grab one at a time and you chew it for the next three minutes. If you eat the most hot pepper, you’ll be declared winner,” explained Dela Cruz, adding that they are looking at having the contestants spit out the hot pepper to avoid indigestion or other problems.

The mayor also noted that the Tinian municipality has arranged for great airfare and accommodation deals “as a special treat for people who may want to join us for a spicy weekend.”

Star Marianas is offering one-way tickets for just $20 from Friday to Monday. For more information, call 433-9997.

Those who prefer to travel by water have an option as Stars & Stripes will offer charter boat rides during the festival for only $49 round-trip. To purchase tickets, email Bruce Bateman at bbateman@pticom.com.

Dela Cruz said they are introducing this deal for the first time to entice the community of bikers on Saipan as the fee includes the freight for a bicycle.

The mayor said they will be hosting a fun ride around Tinian to introduce biking aficionados to different routes on the island “in anticipation of us planning a bike race in the very near future.”

Dela Cruz disclosed that his office is subsidizing the charter boat ride to make it affordable for visitors.

“This is money well spent. You spend money to make money,” he explained.

During the festival, the Tinian Dynasty Hotel & Casino will be providing room accommodations for guests at just $70 plus tax. For reservations, call 328-2233.

For those who love the outdoors, they can also camp out at the beach as Dela Cruz emphasized that Tinian is “very safe,” with water and provider available for campers.

“I would like to invite all the people from Saipan who have a free weekend to come and join us in this event. We put together a very affordable package where you can actually come down and be part of the event,” said Dela Cruz.