The Ati-Atihan festival, named after the Ati, the indigenious natives of the island before the arrival of the Malay in the 10th century and the Spanish in the 15th whose population has steadily decreased every since.

The festival is held on the third week of January every year in Kalibo in the Aklan province on the island of Panay. The festival is to celebrate the arrival or gift of the Santo de Niño de Cebu by Magellan to the native Queen of Cebu in 1571 and is marked by frenzied merriment on the streets very similar to the Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans.

The key activity of the festival and one of the main reasons tourists flock to the island is the native dance competitons geared to rythmic and hypnotic drumbeats that run nonstop for several days. Commpetitors practice for weeks before the festival and dress in very colorful costumes, wearing masks and headresses, and paint their bodies with black ash to appear like the native Ati. Dancing troupes, some numbering 40 or 50 children or teenagers, dance for local prestige and cash prizes.

Hotels and resorts for miles around are booked solid months in advance, but many house near the festival have spare rooms that families let out. While there is much drinking and revelry there is a noticeable police presence that is there to safeguard foreigners and tourists. The other attraction is Boracay beach is less than an hour away so many tourists and visitors view the festival and then visit Boracay for a complete and well-rounded vacation.