Even when there’s nothing happening in the area, Placencia, Belize has a whole lot going for it. It has the best mainland beaches, a fun and walkable village, and great tropical weather. If you come at the right time of the year though, you get a little extra if you can check out one of the Placencia Belize events scheduled throughout the year.
As with seemingly most warm and sunny places, the people of Belize like to get together and party. Add in the retired expats with plenty of time on their hands who have bought Placencia real estate and you’ve got a festive combination. Plus there are certain predictable events such as the return of the whale sharks to Belize.
After the new year arrives and the tourists start returning in force, there’s something happening almost every month. Here’s what’s you’ll find at different times of year on the Placencia Peninsula.
Sidewalk Art and Music Festival – February
Living up to its name, the peninsula’s Sidewalk Art and Music Festival turns the main sidewalk of the village into a fair atmosphere with vendors selling jewelry, handicrafts, clothing, and other items. Where there’s more room, stages are set up for live performances of various kinds of music, from Garifuna to reggae to rock.
You can’t have a festival without food, so there’s plenty to eat and drink along the way at the event itself, plus you don’t have to work very far from there to hit the town’s usual bars and restaurants to sit and socialize for a while.
See more on the Sidewalk Art and Music Festival here.
Valentine’s Day – February
Romantic couples often escape the cold up north and fly somewhere warm to celebrate the most romantic day of the year and the luxury Placencia resorts are ready to help them make their day special. Many of the restaurants feature special set menus and of course there are plenty of ideal spots for a private dinner experience with a view of the beach and the water.
Then the independent restaurants in Placencia Village and along the access road will be making the most of the day as well, but in either case be sure to make arrangements well ahead of time. Expressing love may be a spontaneous act most of the year, but V-day arrangements seldom can be…
Easter in Belize – late March/early April
While the pageantry around Easter in Belize may not be as intense as you’ll find in predominately Catholic countries like Mexico, it is one of the biggest religious days in the country and after weeks of lead-up, it culminates on Easter Sunday.
Ask around to find out what’s happening, especially Friday through Sunday. In 2023 the date is April 9, in 2024 it’s March 31.
Whale Shark Diving Dates – After Full Moon in April, May, & June
The world’s largest fish are not hard to spot when they get near the surface: they can grow 40 feet long, the length of almost 7 scuba divers trying to keep up. Whale sharks are elusive creatures in most parts of the world though and in the waters around the long barrier reef of Belize, they tend to show up right before the full moon, stay a week or so when certain fish breeds are spawning, then disappear again.
In 2023, the full moon dates during the sighting season for whale sharks are April 5, May 5, and June 3. It’s best to book a few dives around that time to better your odds of spotting them.
Lobsterfest – July
Many travelers forget about the Caribbean once the countries to the north warm up, but the temperatures don’t go up much during summer in Belize and rates come down beginning in May. The only real change is a higher chance of rain in the afternoons. Summer also brings one of the biggest Placencia Belize events.
The area’s Lobsterfest shifts a bit each year but is usually early or mid-July. (The 2022 event was the 15th to the 17th.) This is a three-day party that celebrates the tasty Caribbean lobster in all its permutations. And while the lobster may be the star, there are plenty of peripheral events if that’s off your diet list.
According to the closest major resort to the village, Chabil Mar, “Local chefs compete to create the most savory dish from the world’s favorite crustacean while diners work to burn off all those extra calories with fun games, live music, and a beach party that lasts until dawn. There’s plenty for the whole family to enjoy, including other seafood treats, face painting, and homemade handicrafts and artwork for sale.”
Something tells me you’ll be able to find a t-shirt that’s a bit different than the beach shop norm as well.
Yamaha Fishing Tournament – September
After taking a break during Covid times, this Belize fishing tournament returned in September of this year and should be on again in the coming years. It pulls in plenty of local anglers who know the waters well, as well as fishermen (and women) from far and wide with something to prove.
All boats must depart from the pier at the same time in Placencia and return at the end of the day together. Judges weigh their catch and assign points based on the type of fish and the weight. Then they go out on a second day and do it again, evening out any one-day lucky runs.
Doradas and Wahoos earn the most points per pound, with Tunas, Kingfishers, Jacks, and Barracudas earning less on a sliding scale. Each category has a minimum number of catches to qualify.
Belize Independence Celebrations – September
If you’ll be in Belize September 9 or later, come prepared to party. It all kicks off with St. George’s Caye Day on the 10th. This holiday celebrates the historic 1798 triumph of British settlers over a Spanish armada. Yes, the reason there’s only one country in Central America that doesn’t speak Spanish goes back more than 220 years. You can expect lots of parades, patriotic celebrations, and local festivals. It might feel quite familiar to Americans since the national colors are red, white, and blue.
Less than two weeks later is an even bigger celebration: September 21 is Independence Day. Here that’s a rather recent development: Belize didn’t become a free and independent nation until 1981. Since most workers have off that day and there’s usually more added on close to weekends, the celebrations can last for days.
Thanksgiving – Late November
No, Thanksgiving is not a real holiday in Belize, but in places where tourists stay and U.S. expatriates live, it’s a time for celebration nevertheless. Any resort with a sizeable number of American guests will put on a special dinner—no doing the dishes required—and you can have some quality family time if you do a multi-generational trip.
It’s not all that strange eating some of the traditional Thanksgiving items here anyway: turkey, corn, squash, and sweet potatoes have Mesoamerican origins, after all. You just might have to sub in some tropical fruits for the cranberries. If you must watch a football game to stay in line with your own traditions, that’s no problem at the local resorts and bars here, where all the channels are in English anyway and most have satellite or cable connections.
Belize Marathon – Early December
The Belize End of the World Marathon got its start on December 21, 2012 when many people around the world interpreted the ancient Maya calendar to predict the apocalypse on that date. After gaining widespread popularity, the End of the World Marathon has continued year after year, celebrating its 11th running on December 4, 2022.
Stay tuned for the 12th running in 2023 and you can feel good about your entry fee if you participate: all proceeds go to high school, university, and trade school scholarships benefiting Belizean youth.
Christmas Parades on Land and Sea – December
Christmas is a very important holiday in Belize, and the locals love to celebrate with parades for adults and children. With Placencia being a peninsula with lots of boats, the parades also take to the water when hundreds of boats adorned with lights and decorations compete for cheers and prizes. Ask around with locals to find exact dates or keep an eye on the local tourism board’s Facebook page.
What did we miss? Any other Placencia Belize events that visitors should know about during the year?
Photos by Timothy Scott and Chabil Mar Villas except lobster shot from Unsplash.
