The MassKara Festival will be held from the 8th of October until the 27th of October in Bacolod city. This annual festival, which is similar to Brazil’s Rio Carnival, literally translates to “many faces” as the smiling faces of the mask, Bacolod city got the nickname of The City of Smiles. 

The MassKara Festival can trace its roots back in the 1980s and was born out of a crisis. It was during the time when the province’s main livelihood, sugar, was priced at an all-time low because of alternatives introduced in the market. It was also the time when a happened, which carried mostly people from the province including those from prominent families of Bacolod.  

To lift the spirits of the locals and bring back the smiles on their faces, the MassKara Festival was created. Smiling masks were a declaration of the people of Bacolod City that they will pull through and survive the challenges and tragedies that they are facing. The center of the MassKara festival is the big vibrant masks. A lot of barangays and groups are working hard to give world-class performances complete with crafted masks and eye-catching outfits.

The music used for the celebration has enjoyed a colorful evolution, just like the festival. From folk songs, the festival now uses a combination of Latin beat remixes as well as Philippine Jazz to grace the street dances.

The most exciting part of the yearly MassKara Festival is the Dance Competition. This part of the festival is something that each and every visitor would not want to miss. 

MassKara Festival is known for its street parties, with the biggest party, known as Masskaraland. Masskaraland is open for everyone who wants to join the fun. Partygoers can dance from sunrise until sunset, as they turn the street of Lacson into a gigantic party venue. A countdown also starts in the afternoon, where powders of different colors are thrown up to douse all the partygoers.

According to Guide to the Philippines