THE Office of the Mayor of Tinian and Aguiguan on Tuesday announced that persons who received their booster shots before the 18th annual Tinian Hot Pepper Festival will be entered into a raffle drawing for a chance to win a $2,000 cash prize.
Additional cash prizes amounting to $5,000 will also be raffled off courtesy of the Marianas Visitors Authority.
Raffle winners will be announced during the festival, which is also known as “Pika Fest.”
“Pika” means spicy, and the annual event pays homage to Tinian’s famous “donne sali” hot pepper and includes a full weekend of activities including food sales, live entertainment, competitions, arts and crafts sales, and more.
According to MVA, the festival will have a soft opening at 6 p.m. on Feb. 18 at the Fiesta Grounds in San Jose, Tinian, adjacent to Jones Beach. On Feb. 19 and 20, live entertainment and competitions will begin at 5 p.m.
The 50K Pika Bike Race will begin at 6 a.m. on Feb. 19 at the Fiesta Grounds. Registration is $40. Registration forms and payment may be submitted to The Bike Shop in Courtney’s Plaza on Beach Rd. in Chalan Kanoa, Saipan.
Hotel accommodations are available at Tinian Ocean View, Tinian Diamond Hotel, Lorilynn’s Hotel, Tinian Street Motel, Fleming Hotel, Green Field Lion House, Marpo Valley Inn, and Western Lodge. Free camping is available at Kammer Beach, Taga Beach (toilets, barbecue pits, and outdoor showers available) and at the adjacent Tachogna Beach (barbecue pits, indoor showers, and toilets are available).
For more information, contact Tinian field operations supervisor Vida Borja at (670) 433-9365 or e-mail at vborja@mymarianas.com or MVA community projects specialist Jack Aranda at (670) 664-3200 or email jaranda@mymarianas.com
