Article: ANNUAL FESTIVAL GROWS IN SIZE IMPORTANCE.(LOCAL)

Byline: AGNES BLUM THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

VIRGINIA BEACH -- Driving to Red Wing Park Wednesday afternoon, you could smell barbecued pork and hear the strains of traditional Tagalog songs.

But the first thing you'd see would be campaign signs.

They lined the sides of the road to the Filipino-American Friendship Day Picnic dotting the entrance to the free Fourth of July festival. Their presence symbolized how the picnic has grown over the past 30 years, Filipino activists said, from a small ethnic celebration to a necessary stop for politicians.

``When we first started this, no one took us too seriously,'' said Julius Aspa. ``But now we are ...

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