Some 200 vintas will unfurl their sails for the Regatta de Zamboanga 2018 competition, an annual vinta race held in line with the Hermosa Festival every October.

Hundreds of residents are expected to flock to RT Lim Boulevard on October 7 at the crack of dawn to witness one of the most anticipated activities of the Hermosa Festival. The race will feature the traditional vinta, each paddled by two individuals who will race for the top spots to win cash prizes and the honor of being the swiftest vinta.

The first team to cross the finish line will receive P15,000. Second place finishers will receive P12,000, to be followed by P10,000, P7,000, and P5,000 for the third, fourth, and fifth place winners, respectively.

The Regatta de Zamboanga is one of the most  popular events in the month-long Fiesta Pilar, drawing in not only local residents but also tourists from other cities in the nation.

The lively race will be followed by another crowd-pleaser activity, the Wow Sardinas boodle fight. Tables covered with banana leaves and filled with canned sardine products from every major sardine manufacturer based in the city will line up the RT Lim Boulevard stretch as people will gather for a communal meal.

Wow Sardinas emphasizes the city’s position as the Sardines Capital of the Philippines.

The month-long Hermosa Festival will begin on October 1 with the Opening Salvo back-to-back with the Inter-barangay Bandoreal Competition and the Pink October walk. From there, Hermosa Festival will be in full swing until the end of October.

On September 29, the Zambassadors Mall Tour and the Original Chavacano Video Music Festival 2018 Grand Launching will take place at the KCC Mall Area. The same day will also see the opening of the Smoke Out Grilled Food Fiesta and the Midnight Sale at RT Lim Boulevard.

The Zamboanga Art Exhibit 2018 will officially open its doors on September 30 at the ground floor of KCC Mall. The exhibit will run until October 14.  (Jasmine Mohammadsali)