“THE event must go on,” said Tinian Mayor Edwin P. Aldan in an interview Friday regarding the postponement of the island’s annual Hot Pepper or Pika Festival.
Asked if the event will be canceled in light of the rising number of Covid-19 cases in the community, he said, “Pika has always been the kickoff for the CNMI. It is distinct from any other event. I don’t want to not have it. If you don’t want to come down for the Pika, then that’s fine. Stay home. We’ll try and push through with what’s allowed by the protocols.”
Aldan said concerns from community members were what led to the decision to postpone the festival in the first place.
“People were asking why we were still holding the Pika Fest, so I said, ‘Okay. Let’s postpone it,’” he added.
Covid-19 is already in the community, he said. “Now we just have to encourage the community to get boosted. We must go on.”
After seeking guidance from the Marianas Visitors Authority, the Governor’s Covid-19 Task Force, the Office of the Governor, and the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp., Mayor Aldan said, “The first thing I told them was that I was not comfortable. The people were not comfortable having the Pika Fest while there was a surge happening.”
“But my message to the people is at what point do we not let go? I’m hoping that everybody gets their booster shot, then there will be herd immunity for Tinian,” the mayor added.
The 18th Annual Tinian Hot Pepper Festival slated for this month has been postponed to March 11-13, 2022.
The festival pays homage to Tinian’s small but famous “donne sali” hot pepper and highlights a weekend of activities that include food sales, live entertainment, competitions, arts and crafts sales, and more.
For more information, contact MVA community projects specialist Jack Aranda at (670) 664-3200 or jaranda@mymarianas.com or Tinian field operations supervisor Vida Borja at (670) 433-9365 or vborja@mymarianas.com
Edwin Aldan
