Raga leads 1st Little Manila parade, party in Queens
Woodside, NY – Assemblymember Raga and community partners will host the first-ever Filipino American History Month Little Manila Parade & Block Party on Sunday, October 18, in Woodside, Queens, home to Little Manila, the cultural heart of the New York metropolitan area's 250,000-strong Filipino American community.
The celebration takes place on October 18, the anniversary of the first documented arrival of Filipinos in the continental United States in 1587, when Filipino sailors aboard a Spanish galleon landed in what is now Morro Bay, California. The date holds special significance during Filipino American History Month, observed each October.
Assemblymember Raga will be joined by Congresswoman Grace Meng, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, Council Member Julie Won, Council Member Shekar Krishnan, Maria Torres-Springer, President of the Charles Revson Foundation and former First Deputy Mayor of New York City; Anne del Castillo, Senior Policy Advisor at the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs and former Commissioner of the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment; Jersey City Councilmember-at-Large Rolando Lavarro, the first Asian American member of the Jersey City Council; and community partners Woodside on the Move, the National Federation of Filipino American Associations New York State Chapter, and the Filipino American National Historical Society Metro New York Chapter.
The event will also recognize Filipino American contributions to literature, journalism, the arts and community advocacy, including Guggenheim Poet-in-Residence Patrick Rosal, novelist Gina Apostol, restaurateurs Cheryl Baun and Paolo Mendoza, poet Lara Stapleton, actors Ching Valdes-Aran, Jojo Gonzalez and Orlando Pabotoy, journalist and former NY1 correspondent Anna Sterling, and community advocates from Tanggol Migrante Northeast, Malaya, Damayan and GABRIELA. The celebration will feature cultural performances by Indigenous Maranaw and Ifugao dance troupes Kinding Sindaw and Cordillera Cultural Ensemble, along with Filipino music, poetry and other traditional and contemporary performances.
WHO:
Assemblymember Steven Raga
Congresswoman Grace Meng
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards
Council Member Julie Won
Council Member Shekar Krishnan
Maria Torres-Springer, President of the Charles Revson Foundation and former First Deputy Mayor of New York City
Anne del Castillo, Senior Policy Advisor, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs; former Commissioner, Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment
Rolando Lavarro, Jersey City Councilmember-at-Large and the first Asian American member of the Jersey City Council
Woodside on the Move, represented by William Jourdain
Rachelle Ocampo, President of National Federation of Filipino American Associations New York State Chapter
Filipino American National Historical Society Metro New York Chapter
WHAT:
First-Ever Filipino American History Month Little Manila Parade & Block Party, celebrating Filipino American history, culture and contributions through a parade, cultural performances, community recognition and a block party in Woodside, Queens.
WHEN:
Sunday, October 18, 2026
Parade: 12:30 PM – 1:00 PM
Block Party, Honoring Ceremonies and Performances: 1:00 PM – 4:30 PM
WHERE:
Parade Start: General Hart Playground
65-01 37th Avenue, Woodside, NY 11377
Block Party: 41st Avenue between 69th Street and 70th Street
Woodside, NY 11377
(A Press Release from the office of Assemblymember Steven Raga)
