Drum & Lyre bands of different schools in Bangued. I hope this video brings back memories of past town fiestas...the sights and sounds during the fiesta week. Video taken in 2001 Bangued Town Fiesta.

Bangued Town Fiesta (formerly known as Washington Day) conjures up a lot of childhoold memories. Part of the town fiesta is having our own version of carnival or what we call in vernacular as "peryaan." The locations may have changed through the years (from the plaza to Zone 4 behind Bangued North Elementary School to Zone 7 right in front of Barbero Heights to Zone 6's empty fields and now at the ASIST oval in Zone 3) but some things remain unchanged: tiangge shopping, the tempting food, the scary rides and addicting games.

Who could ever forget the tiangge stalls that are set up weeks before the town fiesta? Who hasn't tried the pink cotton candy, dirty ice cream in cones or bread (choose from avocado, ube or cheese flavors), pancakes slathered with Star Margarine and sugar, the popcorn which is slightly darker in color than the usual popcorn (and you thought it was cheese-flavored), "scrambol" with yummy choco syrup, taho with its vanilla-flavored syrup and tapioca mixture, balut and barbecue?

You haven't been to Bangued's "peryaan" if you haven't experienced the following:

1) played the games of "ABC";
2) made "taya" at some "pailaws", got addicted, wishing more plates and drinking glasses, Chippy and Snacku to take home;
3) got tricked at the magician and his alibi;
4) tried the fun rides of the "Merry-Go-Round", "Catterpillar", "Cable Car" or "Go Kart";
5) screamed at the top of your lungs on the hilarious rides of "Horror Train", "Ferris Wheel", "Scramble" or "Octopus";
6) watched the jawdropping shows of "Zuma: Ang Hari ng Cobra" or "Ang Babaeng Pinaglihi sa Palaka", "Sirena" or "Ang Taong Gubat - Ang Babaeng Kumakain ng Buhay na Manok", motorcycle exhibition, or circus.
7) took home a bag of chips or a stuffed toy you won at the shooting gallery.

"Peryaan," I think, is not just a part of the town fiesta. It is also a fiesta on its own; a fiesta of the senses -- seeing the lights of the pailaw and carousel, hearing the cacophony of noises from the announcers shouting "Taya! Taya! Taya!" to mechanical sounds produced by the rides, smelling and eating barbecue, popcorn and pancakes and feeling the festive energy of Banguedenios -- and a celebration of life with simple pleasures.