HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — The spiciest fun, food, and live entertainment imaginable are on the menu this Friday as the annual Mangilao Donne’ Festival kicks off.
The three-day event celebrates the local hot pepper, or donne’ in CHamoru, and is the second to be hosted since the COVID-19 pandemic put the brakes on the popular event, according to the Mangilao mayor’s office. This year’s festival is back in full force, and residents can come down to enjoy the vibes and get their ears turned red by the hottest peppers around.
To see the biggest homegrown donne’ one can find, stop on by on Friday night to see who gets the crown for having the largest hot pepper. Doors open at 5 p.m. with opening remarks at 6:30 p.m. at the Mangilao Night Market grounds next to Santa Teresita Catholic Church. Cultural dance group Guma’ I Mañe’lu will take the stage at 7 p.m., followed by the musical stylings of Isa I Isla-ta and the 8 p.m. award ceremony for the biggest donne’ on the block.
The party will extend to Saturday, with doors opening at 11 a.m. and festivities continuing until 9 p.m. Visitors can check out who has the spiciest, heartiest home-cooked meals. Awards for the homemade chili competition will be handed out at noon followed by the kådun pika månnok, or spicy chicken stew, award at 2 p.m.
If spicy food isn’t your thing, you can still watch contestants try to apprehend a hog at the greased pig contest at 3 p.m. Saturday. More music and dancing will also be on tap, with Talent Box on stage at 1 p.m., Guma’ I Mañe’lu at 5:30 p.m. and local band Mix Plate performing at 7:30 p.m. to close out the night.
Sunday brings another all-day affair with something for the sweet tooth and those who like to make absolutely everything they eat spicy. Doors open at 11 a.m. and awards for the pika, or spicy, dessert competition will be handed out at noon and followed by the donne’ dinanche, or spicy sauce, award ceremony at 2 p.m.
There will also be a slinging competition when doors open Sunday, a magic show by Anthony Reed at 3 p.m., and an exhibition by the George Washington High School Warrior Battalion Junior Recruit Officer Training Corps at 4:30 p.m.
There will be back-to-back song and dance throughout the evening, with live band Taj taking the stage at 5:30 p.m., followed by another performance by Guma’ I Mañe’lu at 7 p.m. and local band The Radiants up at 7:45 p.m. to close out the set. Doors close at 9 p.m. Sunday.
Each day of the event will also see arts, crafts, novelties and apparel for sale, along with carnival games, rides, and a petting zoo hosted by Goats and Giggles.
The following food trucks will also be on standby to keep you satiated:
• .50 Calzone.
• Juju’s.
• Karetan Mames.
• Korned.
• La Aurora.
• Maklitz Chicken.
• Mama Bug’s Funnel Cakes.
• Manang Pika’s.
• Mighty Purple Cafe.
• Pono Hawaiian.
• Sip ’N Dip.
• Ssoonnyy’ss.
Attendees enter Mangilao’s Donne’ Festival Sept. 14, 2019.
