Travel
55th Annual Yap Day Festival held Feb. 26 - March 1
Yap Visitors Bureau
February 11, 2025
Traditional dance by Men’s Group (Photo courtesy of Yap Visitors Bureau)
The 55th Annual Yap Day Festival will be held Feb. 26 to March 1 in the villages of Rull and Weloy. One of Micronesia’s largest and most anticipated cultural events, Yap Day will celebrate Yapese traditions, culture, and community through a variety of activities and performances.
The festival kicks off Feb. 26 at 4 p.m. with an opening ceremony featuring traditional dance, local arts and crafts, and authentic Yapese cuisine. The following day will include an arts and crafts exhibition, live entertainment, and more dance performances, as well as traditional navigation, ocean sports, and island tours.
The official Yap Day celebrations begin Feb. 28 at 10 a.m. with the traditional seating of chiefs, the ceremonial blowing of the conch shell, and the arrival of the Canoe WAAB. Stone money presentations, cultural dance performances, and weaving demonstrations will follow this. On March 1, the festivities continue with speeches from local leaders, traditional performances, and a variety of competitions, including tug-of-war and the passing of the torch ceremony for the 2026 Yap Day celebrations.