Masskara 2015 Schedule and Talk

Masskara 2015 is finally here!

Every year Masskara seems to be changing at least a little bit. This year, Masskara Araneta Fiesta Alley has been added along Araneta St. It's open after 5pm every day.

[rant]
Here's what I'm wondering: Why did they put it there? The traffic is unbearable. Not to mention, where is everyone going to stand for the street dancing competition? Everyone is just going to move south another block? Ugh! Oh well, it's not like you can actually see the street dancing outside of the first row anyway, and everyone pushes so much that I'm afraid to bring any children.
[/rant]


Schedule:
Official Masskara Festival 2015 Schedule
Official Masskara Schedule for 2015

Oct 1 - Opening Salvo: MassKara, Kari na!
Oct 9-11 - ExtreMassKara (MassKara goes Extreme)
Oct 10-11 - MassKara by the Sea
Oct 12 - MassKara Queen Pageant and Coronation Night
Oct 14 - MassKara in the Sky
Oct 15-19 - MassKaraLand
Oct 16 and 18 - ODD MassKaraVan
Oct 16 - Arena and Street Dancing Competition (Schools)
Oct 17 - Arena and Street Dancing Competition (Barangays)
Oct 17 - Electric MassKara (Elimination)
Oct 18 - Electric MassKara (Finals), Charter Day Countdown & Grand Fireworks
Oct 19 - Bacolod City 77th Charter Day (Misa nga Bayan, Boodle Breakfast, MassKaRaffle, Parade, Banwahanon Awards, MassKara Awarding, Closing & Grand Fireworks)

Of course, there are actually quite a few more events than this. Robinson's Mall always has the masks and costumes on display during October. SM always has some sort of Masskara display as well. This is not to mention all of the additional happenings at the malls around town, including Gaisano!

I was even walking through Gaisano City one day and I saw boxing happening downstairs! There were no signs, nothing! The same goes for the Cosplay at Robinson's. You have to actually go inside the malls to find out.

I wish Bacolod would do a better job of putting everything together! It would surely make for a better experience.

[added on Oct. 19, 2015]
Now that the festival has almost finished (everything except the closing speeches), I must say that I was disappointed through most of the festival in terms of lack of communication. Most of the events were only announced on the Masskara Facebook page and nowhere else. Thus, many events lacked people. They didn't bother putting up the tarps this year with the schedule and the traffic was unbearable every single day of the festival due to the closing of Araneta St.

The highlight was actually done pretty decently (not the best that I have experienced, but much better than the past couple of years). They put up stands for people to sit on and they made it a little longer so you could see it easily. Lacson St. was just a hot mess, though. Way too many people there and not enough security. Very, very crowded.

Also, can they PLEASE serve something different than chicken inasal? I swear there is always at least 100 chicken inasal places and barely anything else along Lacson St. God forbid you try to find seafood anywhere, not to mention vegetables. Yikes!