Last month, our travels took us to Coppell, Texas, where we attended the 5th Lone Star Palengke celebration for the first time. The event was sponsored by the Pilipino American Community Endeavor (PACE) to promote the heritage and visibility of the Filipino community and its businesses.

Interestingly, the definition of palengke is a permanent wet market in the Philippines [1]. Another word, talipapa is defined as a periodic wet market in the Philippines. The word palengke has been loosely used to refer to as a gathering of booths or tables. But, we didn’t worry so much about definitions. It was raining that day and everything was wet!

We went primarily for the delicious Filipino food—an array of delicacies from different regions of the Philippines, each with its own unique taste and texture. But what we discovered was not just food; there was also music, games, dance, art, and a wonderful sense of camaraderie.

Booths, some more popular than others, offered their specialties as people wandered through the palengke. We tried to visit each one, but some were simply too crowded. The popular stalls were easy to spot by the long lines of people waiting patiently for their turn.

Photographs of our travels. Memories found and captured.

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