Kain Tayo's Paskuhan Village returns to Toronto's Parkdale Hall on 14 November with a Filipino Christmas market

Kain Tayo Filipino Food Village is bringing back Paskuhan Village, a free Filipino Christmas market at The Parkdale Hall in Toronto on 14 November, adding harana, parol-making and a sawsawan demonstration to the food this year.

Kain Tayo Filipino Food Village will bring Filipino Christmas traditions to Toronto on 14 November with the return of Paskuhan Village, a holiday market showcasing local Filipino-owned businesses, Frequency reported.

The second annual event takes place at The Parkdale Hall on Queen Street West. The venue's event page lists it as free to attend and asks visitors to register.

Kain Tayo founder Sunshine Asuncion said the event was inspired by the desire to recreate the Christmas celebrations many Filipinos remember from home. "Pasko is really the most beautiful time for Filipinos," she told Frequency.

What's on

Last year's inaugural Paskuhan Village attracted approximately 1,000 visitors and featured about 35 vendors. Asuncion said the first event focused mainly on food, but this year visitors can expect:

• Traditional Christmas food, including bibingka, puto bumbong and lechon
• Harana, or Filipino serenading
• Parol-making activities
• A demonstration on preparing sawsawan, Filipino dipping sauces

Returning businesses include Golden Lechon, FV Foods and Eats Manila, which will offer a Filipino street food experience. According to Asuncion, approximately 80 per cent of last year's vendors are participating again, and she wants the market to introduce Filipino businesses to non-Filipino customers as well.

From home kitchens to growing businesses

Kain Tayo was founded during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 as an online community where Filipinos could support one another through food. It has since grown to approximately 60,000 members, with some home-based entrepreneurs eventually opening physical storefronts across southern Ontario.

One first-time participant is Ma Charisma Austria, founder of Eli's Cravings, a Kitchener-based business specialising in Filipino-style roasted peanuts and peanut butter. Austria told Frequency she hopes the event will help her business reach more customers and build relationships with other Filipino entrepreneurs.

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