Lone Star Palengke 2024 Press Release

Bringing together thousands of attendees to support local Filipino businesses

By André Averion, Communications Manager

Published September 9th, 2024.

Lone Star Palengke will be celebrating its third year as North Texas’ largest Filipino market festival at Asia Times Square Oct. 12 with an exciting lineup of vendors, performances and special events.

Hosted by the Pilipino American Community Endeavor (PACE) nonprofit, which aims to generate funds for an inclusive and sustainable Filipino community center in DFW, the event is expected to bring together over a hundred food and retail vendors featured alongside live performances, a parade and other community resources. 

Taking place from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Oct. 12, the six hour event will include organizations like Edd M Dance Company, Asian Texans for Justice, Shake Shack and Pineapple Industries. Attendees will also have the chance to partake in parol making, car shows, history interviews, voter registration and a scavenger hunt raffle prize. The event aims to showcase the best of the Filipino community in DFW, with a majority of funds going to the future community center.

The proposed community center is planned to host a meeting space for businesses, a banquet hall, classrooms for community and language workshops, wellbeing facilities for youth and elderly, basketball and volleyball courts for community use and an outdoor pavilion. $2.2 million is needed to secure land and build the facility, with another $22 million needed for sustainable operating costs and local development. So far, 3.6% of funds have been secured for the $24.2 project, with the previous Lone Star Palengke garnering $51,062.99 in fundraising. PACE estimates that the project would be complete if every 80,000 Filipinos in DFW donated $27.

Admissions are free online, where attendees can also help donate to the community center. Volunteers are needed, which for more information can contact pamilya@pacedfw.co. This year at the event, PACE will be exchanging dollars to Palengke Pesos as equivalent currency exclusively for food, drink and nonprofit vendors to avoid internet overload. Palengke Pesos will be obtainable via cash or card at both PACE entrance booths.

Vendor, sponsor and nonprofit signups are still available on the website. 

On Sept. 7 vendors that had already signed up were invited to tour Asia Times Square at 10 a.m., before being invited to Let’s Get Social later that day. The edited virtual video is available below.

“From the bottom of our hearts, let’s make this as big as possible! The more that we bring together, the more people will feel empowered and inspired,” Mark Sampelo, co-founder of PACE, said. “I believe everyone here belongs here, but everyone deserves to know that you are here.”

About The Pilipino American Community Endeavor:

PACE was founded in late 2022 by Mark Sampelo, Abby Casallo, Conrado Casallo and Elna Mallari before being officially established as a nonprofit in early 2023. The mission of PACE is to bring the community together in spaces that celebrate our Filipino community, history and heritage in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Alongside Lone Star Palengke, PACE also provides civic engagement, Filipino town hall events, and local support to nonprofits, businesses and student organizations as PACE continues to work towards building a Filipino Community Center and Filipino Town for future generations to come.