Grand Prairie Proclaims October 12 as Lone Star Palengke Day

City Mayor encourages all residents to celebrate in part of Filipino American History Month

By André Averion, Communications Chair

Published October 5, 2024, updated October 9, 2024.

Oct. 12 will henceforth be celebrated as Lone Star Palengke day in Grand Prairie, TX, as proclaimed by Mayor Ron Jensen as of Oct. 4, in part celebrating Filipino American History Month across the United States. 

Entering its third year as the largest Filipino market in North Texas, thousands of visitors will be welcomed to Asia Times Square Oct. 12 for Lone Star Palengke. Members from all communities will be welcomed free of charge to a large ensemble of local performers and cultural dances at the main stage taking the spotlight before dozens of retail vendors and food trucks, with a series of family friendly activities and exhibits unique to DFW found behind the stage inside. Hosted by the Pilipino American Community Endeavor, the festival aims to captures the essence of the Filipino American community in the DFW area with food, services, and family friendly activities in the goal to fundraise the construction of a sustainable community center and celebrate Filipino heritage. 

Alongside local support from the like of the Dallas Mavericks, Asian Texans for Justice and UNIPRO- the festival has garnered international attention with travelers from Europe, Australia and south Asia. Flagship Philippines network GMA Network will be the official media sponsor of the event, bringing international coverage of the event to Grand Prairie alongside the support of other international organizations like Mama Sita's and FYLPRO, strengthening the connection between Filipinos and Filipino Americans. 

In the proclamation, Jensen urges all Grand Prairie residents regardless of background or walks of life to celebrate the lasting contributions of Filipino Americans in the nation through Lone Star Palengke as an extension of the Filipino American History Month observation. 

Filipino American History Month has been celebrated annually each October since it's declaration in 1992 by the Filipino American National Historical Society. The month particularly recognizes the arrival of the first Filipinos in the United States, which occurred in October 1587, nearly 20 years before the first successful colony in the United States. A group of Filipino sailors, known as Luzon Indios, arrived at Morro Bay, CA, aboard a Spanish galleon called Nuestra Señora de Buena Esperanza. These sailors were part of the Manila-Acapulco galleon trade, a vast maritime route connecting the Philippines and New Spain, which at the time included Central America and parts of the southwestern United States.

While the state of Texas does not formally recognize Filipino American History Month, several Texas cities alongside Grand Prairie recognize the cultural heritage and achievements of this observance, including San Antonion, Edinburg and Houston. 

Below is a digital copy of the proclamation.