The first Kaamulan Festival was conducted on May 5, 1974. It was a religious fiesta in Malaybalay, the capital of the province, in honor of the patronage of San Isidro Labrador (St. Isidore the Worker). Then vice mayor Edilberto Mamawag introduced to the fiesta the showcasing of indigenous people and their ethnic cultures. A national coverage of the event inspired its expansion to a regional festivity in northern Mindanao on September 16, 1977.

We missed the street dancing but the main event was worth every moment.