Many of us have already set foot in Baguio City, most of whom I know repeatedly visited. Thanks to the city’s unique charm and natural cool climate. As many times as I have been here, it is always the same experiential circuit as what we are accustomed to. But do you want to see and experience Baguio City through a different lens? Visit now and experience the Ibagiw Festival. This weeks’ long event shifts how you can experience Baguio when art spills into public areas and old streets while local creatives take the lead. A unique segment of the Ibagiw Festival that is tourist-friendly is the 17 participating Restaurants and Cafes within the city and its environs, featuring their partner Cordilleran artists. This is the Gastro X Art Creative Crawl. Walking through these festival-aligned establishments gives you a grounded sense of what the city values and how its creative community keeps its culture active and identity breathing alive.

ABOUT THE IBAGIW FESTIVAL

The Ibagiw Festival is Baguio City’s month-long showcase of its creative identity, built around crafts, art, and community talent that is organized by Creative Baguio City Council (CBCC). The festival’s name comes from bagiw, the Ibaloi word for moss, which locals use to describe something or someone rooted in Baguio. The festival took shape after the city gained its UNESCO Creative City title in 2017, growing into an annual platform that highlights weaving, woodwork, visual art, and homegrown stories. It began as a response to that recognition and has since become a fixture each November, bringing together artists, artisans, participating tourism stakeholders and residents to present the city’s creative heritage in a focused and accessible way.

The 2025 Theme is “Traditions Rooted, Futures Routed” which officially commenced last November 14, 2025 at Baguio Convention and Cultural Center with a ritual. According to Ms. Marie Venus Tan, Co-Chair of the Creative Baguio City Council, we should look at tradition as a factor in expressing ourselves through creativity, where we create a mark and identity.

IBAGIW FESTIVAL 2025 Schedule

If you are visiting Baguio City during the festival, please see below official calendar below for your guide:

TOURIST FRIENDLY GASTRO-ART CIRCUIT

The Gastro X Art Creative Crawl highlights how Baguio’s food scene connects seamlessly with its creative circles. Each stop features a dining space hosting artworks, craft displays, or chef-artist collaborations that change the feel of a regular meal. The route encourages you to taste local produce while seeing how makers interpret the city’s character. It builds a clear link between culinary identity and handmade craft. During our trip, we were handed brochures as a guide for this crawl.

WHAT MAKES THE CRAWL UNIQUE

The Gastro × Art Creative Crawl shows how food and creativity shape daily life in Baguio. It pulls you into kitchens, cafés, homestays, and galleries that shift their character for Ibagiw. Instead of following a fixed pattern, each stop offers its own rhythm. Some highlight comfort food, others lean into craft or atmosphere, and the artworks set the tone in ways that feel specific to each place.

THE STOPS WE DID

Prepare yourself, especially your tummy, for a delightful gastronomic journey during your Gastro x Art Creative Crawl. Blessed to have one of the Co-Chairman of the Creative Baguio City Council, Ms. Marie Venus Tan, she designed a three-day itinerary fit for the media team to experience and feature. With a focus on the 17 Establishments, here are the 5 restaurants and cafes we visited.

At Amare La Cucina, the pull comes from the wood-fired oven and the lived-in warmth of a family restaurant. Their new Outlook Drive branch feels close to home, with bright corners and a casual pace that pairs well with the pieces of Irene Joy Bawer-Bimuyag, Mae Anne Macaraeg, and Art Lozano. The art doesn’t mirror the menu; it simply adds another layer to the dining room, which already carries its own identity.

Hōka Brew sits inside The Podium Boutique Hotel. The space leans on dark wood and wide windows, and the Mongolian Buffet spreads sets the mood. Dulthe Munar and Sirk Deuda bring color and movement to the interiors, creating a contrast that works with the plates, cooked bowls of veggies and meals, and long conversations that usually fill the room. The place feels relaxed, and the art fits into that ease without competing for attention. You will enjoy the view of Baguio City from here.

Guest Haven Coffee offers a quieter stop in the crawl. It’s a café with a slower tempo, and the display of works by Clinton Aniversario and Sherwood Dampag gives the room a more contemplative feel. People come for the coffee and the view of the mall from the bridge, and the art sits in the background like a steady pulse instead of a focal point.

Le Coq Bleu stands apart with a French-style homestay atmosphere. It feels personal, almost like entering someone’s home filled with keepsakes. Roland Bay-an and Zylan Yvonne Blando add to that mood through pieces that match the homestay’s character. The dining area has a softer presence, and the art deepens that tone instead of reshaping it. For decades, Ms. Chantal, a French woman married to a Pangilinan hailing from Pampanga, has now found a home at Baguio City.

Moch Café & Bistro in Suello Village draws attention through its pastel interiors and hillside setting. The menu leans toward comfort food, and the vibe remains light and unhurried. Works by Malahhay Lito and Lopez Aquino sit comfortably within this environment and push the space toward a more expressive feel without forcing a theme. One must try their tapa and burger dishes coupled with simmering hot cup of brewed coffee.

OTHER STOPS YOU SHOULD TRY

Other participating restaurants broaden the crawl’s reach. Canto Bogchi Joint attracts crowds with grilled plates and big servings. Chaya brings a Japanese home-cooking atmosphere. The Gallery by Witchcraft x L’Atelier Du Grain introduces a bar-meets-bakery setup. Gypsy Baguio by Chef Waya delivers thoughtful cooking with a personal touch. Curious Coffee Co at G1 Lodge plays with modern café design. Rebel Bakehouse, Mountain Man at The John Hay Hotel, Man Apsol, Mount Camisong Forest Park, Lemon and Olives, and Olive Café at Venus Hotel each bring their own identity, adding depth to the crawl without repeating ideas.

The strength of the Gastro × Art Creative Crawl lies in its range. You taste local food, see how artists interpret the city, and move through spaces shaped by different hands. Every stop has its own story. Experiencing Ibagiw through this route gives you a clearer view of Baguio’s character — one shaped by people who work with flavor, craft, and place.

OFFICIAL IBAGIW FESTIVAL CHANNELS

Follow official social media channels: