This Week in Clark (February 06 to 12, 2017)

The Philippine Hot Air Balloon Fiesta is a great bonding activity for family and friends, and a taste of Kapampangan food is also necessary to complete the experience. Matam-ih Restaurant at the Clark Freeport serves authentic and exotic Kapampangan dishes while also helping the community as their service crew is mainly comprised of Aetas. For a gastronomic adventure or for something new, there is Spanglish Restaurant at Pavilion Mall that specializes in Tex-Mex cuisine.

Due to the popularity of the Philippine Hot Air Balloon Fiesta, most hotels around Clark are already fully booked from February 10 to 12. To have a different experience and also to avoid the heavy flow of the crowd on Friday through Sunday, booking an accommodation on the 8th or 9th and getting a ticket for an early morning hot air balloon ride are advisable.

To maximize one’s weekend getaway in Clark, there are also plenty of other places worthy of a stopover. For families, Nayong Pilipino and Clark Museum and 4D Theater are perfect places to spend some leisure time and also learn a little about one’s Filipino roots. For friends who want to use the hashtag #squadgoals, a visit at Air Force City Park can give Instagram-worthy pictures with various aircrafts and machineries used by the Philippine Air Force.

For the adults with some extra cash and an adventurous spirit, a game at Casino Filipino’s satellite branch in Mimosa, Pampanga can give an after-festival fun. Casino Filipino also occasionally hosts concerts and events perfect for adult couples to enjoy.

A visit in any place wouldn’t be complete without shopping. There are plenty of duty-free shops in Pampanga for some souvenirs or pasalubongs before going home. Stores like Farm Fresh, Arjan Trading, and Northwalk Clark have some of the best items Pampanga has to offer. For some kakanin or sticky rice to take home, locals recommend Susie’s Cuisine who holds the title the “The Best in Pampango Kakanin.”

The beginning of the week will be sunny with a little chance of showers. A heads up to those who will be attending the Philippine Hot Air Balloon Fiesta, the beginning of the event on the 9th will be welcomed with a rather cloudy and humid day, with a stray shower in the afternoon. The gloomy weather will last until the end of the event on the 13th. Visitors are advised to be at the event venue as early as possible especially those who booked a hot air balloon flight to check any flight changes or advisories.

To maximize the festival, guests are advised to be at the venue as early as 6:00 AM to catch the first flight of the hot air balloons. The next time that they will be on air will be in the afternoon around 5:00 PM depending on the weather. Although there will be concessionaires and food stalls inside the venue of the festival, guests can still bring food in the event but glass containers, breakables, and crockery are not allowed. Devices like drones and hoverboards are also not allowed in the event.

The Philippine Hot Air Balloon fiesta at Clark this year may be the last. Although there are no final plans yet, the chief of the Clark International Airport Corporation suggests that the succeeding festivals should be held on a different venue so that Clark can maximize its airport. No hot air balloons will mean more commercial flights in the nearby airport.