Filipino fiesta at Tampa’s Lucky Tigre includes lumpia eating contest

For the last six months, Julie Michelle Sainte Feliciano has been sharing her take on Filipino food with Tampa Bay with help from a small team that runs the area’s only sari-sari store concept.

Later this month Feliciano and Lucky Tigré—located at 1101 S Howard Ave.—expand the tent and welcome the community for a one-day “Mini Fiesta Market” celebrating Filipino Food Month.

Set for Saturday, April 22 from noon-4 p.m., the market includes vendors like Filipina-owned jeweler and vintage shop She Greets The Day, luxury home goods maker Nightshift, plus pop ups from Filipino food scene favorites Masarap Bowls, fishcake guru Juju Taiyaki, and local chili oil genie Jasmine Dragon.

There’s also an eating contest built around lumpia, the fried spring rolls that provide warm memories for countless non-Filipinos who were lucky to have a pinoy friend. Entry to the eating contest is $40, with the proceeds benefiting the nonprofit Childhope Philippines, which protects the rights of street children in the Philippines, one of the most corrupt and impoverished countries in Southeast Asia.

DJ bootr0n provides the vibes.

Registration for the eating contest is available online, and more information is on Lucky Tigre’s Instagram page (@theluckytigre).

UPDATED 4/20/23 5:30 p.m. Updated to reflect new vendor list and price for entry into the lumpia eating contest .

This article appears in Apr 6-12, 2023.