Like many other Latin American countries, Costa Rica has many outstanding traditional festivals and celebrations.
The festivals here are not only a place to have fun but also reflect the culture and sentiments of the Costa Rican people.
Attending a few festivals in Costa Rica will be a valuable experience but not too difficult because this country has many festivals spread throughout the year.
Public Festival of Palmares (Fiesta de Palmares)
Time: During the first two weeks of January
This is considered the largest and longest celebration in Costa Rica, held in Palmares.
Here you can witness a horse wedding parade, traditional food, fireworks and bloodless bullfights that have become the cultural identity of Costa Rica. There will be tons of beer consumed during the festival.
Diablitos Party (Fiesta de los diablitos)
Time: During the first weekend of February
Another equally interesting celebration is the Diablitos Party. It is the oldest celebration in the country by the indigenous Boruca people at Rey Curre Village near San Isidro de El General.
This is an opportunity for the people to express their gratitude to the spirits of their ancestors who had triumphed over the Spanish conquistadors.
During this celebration, you’ll see men dress up as Diablitos with colorful hand-carved wooden masks and enjoy the main drink known as Chicha, a traditional fermented corn drink.
Image credit: Jan Helebrant (CC BY-SA 2.0) via Flickr
BPM Festival
Time: 12th to 18th January
If you love electronic music and fiery outdoor parties, don’t miss this festival. The BPM: Costa Rica Festival takes place in the surf town of Tamarindo.
You will be satisfied with the top names in electronic music gathered here such as: Luciano, Deep Dish, Nicole Moudaber, Carl Craig and Dubfire.
There are many means of transport for you to choose from to get from San Jose to Tamarindo, choose the best suitable one and come here to join on the nearest day!
Festival of Lights (Festival de la Luz)
Time: On the second Saturday of December
This is the day that the entire population takes to the streets of San Jose to officially start the holiday season.
If you come here you will see a lively and crowded scene with cars decorated with parade lights on the street, lots of delicious food and amazing music, all these activities to welcome a new year – Merry Christmas is coming.
Envision Festival
Time: 27th of February to 6th of March
This is a festival full of humanity to promote innovative thinking, creativity, conscious lifestyle and improve the quality of life.
This festival will bring together world famous artists for musical performances, there will be yoga classes that you can join. If you are interested in sustainability and self-improvement, this is the perfect festival for you.
Fiestas Zapote
Time: 25th December
This is one of the most famous festivals of Costa Rica. It is held in the town of Zapote, going on for a week with a lot of interesting activities.
This is an event to celebrate Christmas, so there are many activities about traditional music, food and dancing. There is also a large amusement park with rides and games for the whole family.
Limón Carnival
Time: 12th to 13th October
If you’ve heard of Brazil’s Carnival, you might as well picture the Limón Carnival in Costa Rica.
Except for a smaller scale, you will still witness an extremely majestic carnival with brilliant traditional costumes, showing the Caribbean culture of the country.
At this festival, all people will perform a traditional dance to honor the role of music, dance and food in life.
Sun Festival
Time: 24th June
A music festival is held in Cusco on sunny summer days so it is named Sun Festival. Known as a music festival, the special thing about this festival is that it also has yoga classes, meditation and art workshops for you to join.
Easter Festival
Time: 17th April
The Easter festival in Costa Rica, also known as Semana Santa is celebrated with grandeur and fun. This is one of the most important festivals of the year.
You’ll hear people across the country talk about their plans for Semana Santa in the weeks leading up to this Holy Week.
Schools across Costa Rica close for a week before Easter, and most people are off work for the week (or at least Thursday and Friday) before Easter. You’ll see colorful streets and happy crowds during Easter.
This is an opportunity for people to express their respect and remembrance all over the country.
Festival de la Luz
Time: 10th to 12th September
This is a festival that celebrates the winter solstice held in the city of San José and is a great opportunity for you to discover the culture of this beautiful country.
The festival features live music, food stalls and installations that are sure to give you a great experience of Costa Rican culture and cuisine.
Ocaso Underground Music Festival
Time: 6th to 11th January
This festival takes place in the small town of Tamarindo, Costa Rica, it brings together many famous domestic and foreign electronic music artists but also has art workshops and camping for you to enjoy.
This is the perfect festival for those who love to dance and enjoy the vibrant atmosphere of the festival.
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