Festivals

Timpupo Fruit Festival in Kidapawan City: A celebration of Culture, Harvest and Fruits

Kidapawan City is the capital of North Cotabato. Within the 17 town in the City that produces the finest mangosteens, durian and lanzones, Kidapawan City, is hailed as the City of Fruits and annually celebrates the Timpupo Festival during the month of August.

Among the Visayans and indigenous highland tribes of North Cotabato, timpupo is a generic term for “harvest”. The Timpupo Festival was first hailed its name back in 2005 by the City Council but was originally first celebrated in 2001. When the local fruit industry suffered scarcity due to diseases and harsh weather conditions back in 2006, the festival was moved to October.

Nearby towns in Kidapawan located below Mt. Apo like Makilala and Magpet, are the home of durian, lanzones, mangosteen, rambutan and a banana plantation. The area below the mountain is fitting for growing fruits for its rich volcanic soil and chill weather.

The festival starts off with a Fruit Float Parade, one of the most anticipated parts of the celebration. Thousands of people attend the proud capital in Cotabato to witness and to participate in the celebration of the abundant harvest of fruits in the City of Kidapawan.

The Timpupo Fruit Festival features its Fruit Galore wherein attendees are given the chance to eat all the fruits they can consume. Fruits such as durian, mangosteen, banana, rambutan, and lansones are some of the fruits served in the said event. These fruit stands are held at the City Plaza that is three kilometers long.