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Parts of Downtown San Francisco were lit up by handmade Philippine Christmas lanterns or parols from over 20 different contingents in the Bay Area.

This was in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the San Francisco Parol Lantern Festival.

After a two year hiatus due to Covid-19 restrictions, the parol festival returned to the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.

"This is the first place where we had the festival in 2003 and so now many years later, we're coming back and it’s really great to see so many community members in the space," SOMA Pilipinas project manager Raquel Redondiez said.

Attendees were entertained by children singing Christmas carols, while enjoying free food. People were also given the opportunity to make their own parols to take home.

"Parols are a symbol of lights and for Filipinos, it's there symbol for hope," festival founder MC Canlas pointed out.

The event took place within SOMA Pilipinas, San Francisco's Filipino heritage district in the South of Market neighborhood.

"Our community has been here for over 120 years and despite all the waves of displacement that we face, we are still here," Redondiez noted. "We're still a thriving community and as a community, we are fighting to not just stay in the city but to preserve our history and culture."

Organizers say they would like to work with the city in installing permanent parol lighting which will serve not only as Filipino cultural markers but also pedestrian level lighting.