NAWA Heritage Day | Dreamweaver Festival
Gather with us for an afternoon of culture, movement, food, storytelling, and community at The Living Room at Full Circle in Gardiner.
Presented by The Dreamweaver Collective during Filipino American History Month, NAWA Heritage Day is the gathering at the heart of the inaugural Dreamweaver Festival. The celebration centers the diverse Indigenous arts, traditions, stories, and living heritage of Mindanao, with particular emphasis on the T’boli Dreamweavers of Lake Sebu and the cultural traditions of South Cotabato.
Guests are invited to view traditional textiles, clothing, accessories, and handcrafted pieces; participate in a community dance; enjoy Filipino meryenda; and experience traditional dances from various Philippine regions. The afternoon will also feature a fireside chat reflecting on Filipino identity, heritage, and community in America.
No prior dance experience or cultural knowledge is necessary. People of all ages and backgrounds are welcome. Kids are encouraged to participate.
When: Saturday, October 10 | 1:00–5:00 PM
Admission: Sliding Scale $25/$45/$65; RSVP requested
Where: The Living Room at Full Circle | 297 Bruynswick Road, Gardiner, NY 12525
The Dreamweaver Collective is a New York-based 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to preserving, celebrating, and sharing the Indigenous arts and living cultural heritage of Mindanao, Philippines, particularly the Tboli of Lake Sebu, South Cotabato. Through cultural programs, education, storytelling, and collaboration with artists and tradition bearers, the organization builds meaningful connections between communities in the Philippines and the United States.
Schedule
1:00–1:30 PM: Arrival, Textile Displays & Mingling
1:30–1:40 PM: Opening Remarks & Welcome
Cecille Castillon-Weinstein, Festival Director
Christina Benevento, Executive Director, Full Circle
1:40–2:00 PM: Cultural Presentation by Kinding Sindaw
2:00–2:20 PM: Community Dance/Audience Participation
INTERMISSION
2:30–3:00 PM: Community Meryenda
Filipino light bites and treats
3:00–3:10 PM: Traditional Dance Presentation: Tinikling
3:10–4:00 PM: Panel Discussion
Where We Are Now: Filipino Identity and Community in America
Moderated by:
Dr. Marivir Montebon, Journalist
Featuring:
Dr. Betina Idnay, Nurse Scientist and Clinical Solutions Architect at Anterior
Dr. Amelia Asperin, Professor at the Food Business School of the Culinary Institute of America
Dr. Marie-Therese Sulit, Professor of English and scholar of Filipino and Asian American literature and diaspora studies
4:00–4:10 PM: Grand Finale by Sinulog Dance Troupe of Albany
4:10–4:20 PM: Community Acknowledgments & Closing Remarks
Fiona Valkenburgh Kent, Event Chair
Lynn Borinaga Miles, Head of Hospitality
4:20–5:00 PM: Group Photos, Mingling & Artisan Marketplace
Guests are invited to continue celebrating, revisit the textile displays, and browse the artisan booths for handcrafted keepsakes and souvenirs until 5:00 PM.
Celebrate Heritage. Strengthen Connection.
The Dreamweaver Collective’s work reaches across communities and across borders. Here in the United States, we bring members of the Filipino diaspora together to celebrate our shared heritage, deepen our connection to our roots, and create spaces for belonging. We also welcome people from outside the Filipino community to learn, participate, and experience these living traditions through meaningful cultural exchange.
In the Philippines, we work alongside Indigenous communities to help celebrate, sustain, and share their arts, knowledge, stories, and cultural traditions. We believe this work should honor the people who carry these traditions and create opportunities for their voices, creativity, and lived experiences to remain at the center.
Ticket sales and donations support NAWA Heritage Day and help advance this broader mission in the United States and the Philippines. Your contribution helps us:
Create spaces for connection within the Filipino diaspora
Share Filipino and Indigenous cultures with wider communities
Present cultural programs, performances, and educational experiences
Honor artists, tradition bearers, and cultural presenters
Strengthen relationships with Indigenous communities in the Philippines
Build future opportunities for cultural exchange and collaboration
Whether you attend NAWA Heritage Day, choose a higher ticket level, or make a separate donation, you become part of a growing community committed to celebrating heritage, strengthening connection, and helping living traditions flourish across generations.