40,000 pack Cerritos FAHM UbeFest even as the heat hits 103 degrees

Triple-digit heat could not keep Southern California's Filipino community away from the second FAHM UbeFest. Organizers say about 40,000 people came through the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts grounds on Oct. 3 and 4 for food, culture and Filipino American History Month.

A growing regional tradition

The free festival is presented by UbeFest LLC with the Filipino American Chamber of Commerce of Cerritos and Gateway Cities. Food vendors, small businesses and community groups filled the lot. A familiar jeepney from the Pilipino Workers Center drew crowds as a photo stop and a symbol of heritage.

Mayor Lynda Provido Johnson, Cerritos' first Filipina mayor, said the city is proud to host a celebration of that scale. "Events like UbeFest bring people together, support our local businesses and showcase the diversity that makes Cerritos and the region such a special community," she said.

Safety in 103-degree weather

Saturday temperatures hit 103 degrees Fahrenheit. Nurses from the Philippine Nurses Association of Southern California and volunteers from Kalayaan Incorporated staffed first aid and offered free blood pressure checks. Organizers said those steps mattered as the heat climbed.

What comes next

UbeFest LLC also launched a MangoFest earlier this year and plans a Christmas-themed UbeFest on Dec. 20. In two years as part of Cerritos' Filipino American History Month calendar, the ube festival has become one of the region's largest Filipino food and culture gatherings.