Tying your adventure sailing the waters of Belize in with a special festival or event can add something extra to your vacation. Here is a list of the major events that happen in Belize.
January
January 1 - New Years Day.
February
Fiesta de Carnaval - Exciting yearly event celebrated nationwide which
brings back traditions. Groups compete in comparsas (special dances). Held one
week before Lent.
International Bullfish Tournament - Prize of $50,000 to angler landing
blue marlin over 500 pounds. Sponsored by the Belize Game Fish Association.
San Pedro Carnival - Ambergris Caye. Slowly evolving from slapstick fun
using powder, flour, lipstick and paint to tease people, to a more traditional
Mestizo carnival made up of competing comparsas.
March
Annual Agricultural & Trade Show - Held in Belmopan, Orange Walk Town
and nearby Chan Pine Ridge every two years. Livestock, handicrafts, traditional
costumes and dances.
Baron Bliss Day (March 9) - Celebrations held nationwide to honor this great
benefactor of Belize. Harbor regatta is held in front of the lighthouse where he
was buried. Horse and cycle races are also held..
Trade & Livestock Show - Held in Belmopan at the National
Agricultural Showgrounds every other year, the last weekend in March. Features a
rodeo.
April
Good Friday in Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker - Special Catholic Church
services. Beginning at 3 p.m. most villagers participate in procession carrying
the cross through town.
Holy Saturday Cross Country Classic - Bicycle race in Belize City,
continues on Western Highway, Circles around park in San Ignacio and returns to
a dramatic finale in Belize City. International participation.
San Jose Succotz Fiesta - Local fair celebrating the day of their patron
saint. Entertainment for kids, rides, food, marimba music.
May
Cashew Festival - Crooked Tree Village. Celebrating the cashew harvest
season. Live punt music, cashew wine, Caribbean-style dishes, games, folklore
stories.
Cayo Expo - San Ignacio. Displays of local crafts and products. Sample
local foods.
Coconut Festival - Caye Caulker. Food, beverages, crafts. Parade with
prize for floats, coconut competition, dancing.
Commonwealth Day (May 24) - Celebrated nationwide as the Queen's birthday.
National Sports Council holds horse races in Belize City at the National Stadium
and in Orange Walk Town at the People's Stadium. Cycle races are held between
Cayo and Belmopan.
Labour Day - Address by the Minister of Labour or a representative,
followed by parades and rallies held throughout the country. Kite contest, cycle
race, harbor regatta, horse race.
Toledo Festival of Arts - Week-long festivals in which school children
depict various cultural groups in the district through drama and music. Arts and
crafts exhibition includes basketry, paintings, clay sculpture, seashells and
calabash vessels.
June
Dia de San Pedro - Three-day festival honoring St. Peter, the patron
saint of San Pedro. Early morning boat parade. Boats and fishermen are blessed,
a special mass is held and and a fiesta/jump-up follows.
July
Benque Viejo del Carmen Fiesta - Local fair. Celebrates the day of their
patron saint with cultural shows, marimba bands, food and games. Nine days of
prayer.
BETEX 96 (Belize Tourism Expo) - Belize's first trade show. Theme is
"The Ecological Destination of the 21st Century.
August
San Pedro's International Costa Maya Festival - Aug. 16 - 20. Ambergris Cay. A festival of music,
dance, and foods from Belize, Mexico and neighboring countries. This is the
biggest festival all year in Belize, and there is nothing like it through the
rest of Central America. Parades, Music, Dancing, Delicious food, La Reina de la
Costa Maya, Muscle men, Contests of many varieties.
September
National Independence Day (Sept 21) - Numerous cultural, religious and sporting activities
held a couple of weeks before St. George's Caye Day. Flag-raising ceremonies,
parades, street jump-ups, music, dance and foods. Crowning of Miss San Pedro.
Mexican National Day - Orange Walk and Corozal towns people cross over
into Mexico to reunite with families and have celebrations.
St. George's Caye Day (Sept 10) - Celebrates and commemorates a battle in 1798 when
the Spanish were defeated by slaves, Baymen and British soldiers. Around the
country similar official ceremonies and parades take place. Carnivals, sporting
activities, fire engine parade, and pop concerts held several days prior to this
event.
October
Belikin Spectacular - Billfish tournament with spectacular prizes.
Sponsored by the Belize Game Fish Association.
Columbus Day (Pan American Day) - Regatta racing in Belize City.
Hike & Bike for the Rain Forest - A two-day cross-country run and
mountain bike race. Local and International athletes will compete throughout the
Cayo area for the benefit of the rain forest.
Pan American Day - Orange Walk and Corozal. Fiestas and beauty contest
to celebrate Mestizo culture. Horse and cycle races. Tourism Week: Activities
include silent and Dutch auction, grand vacation raffle drawing and fair.
November
Garifuna Settlement Day (Nov 19) - Festival, mainly in the southern most areas of
the country to mark the first arrival of the Garifuna in 1832 in Dangriga.
Stann Creek Agricultural Fair - Exhibits of livestock and locally grown
fruits and vegetables.
December
Boxing Day (Dec 26) - Parties, dances, horse races and some Garifuna dances are
performed.
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