Costa Maya festival rocks San Pedro

Following the crowning of its new queen on Thursday night, San Pedro’s annual Costa Maya International Festival continued over the weekend…and News 5 stayed around for the fun.

Jacqueline Woods, Reporting

The second night of the festival included cultural performances from the five Mundo Maya countries: Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Mexico and Belize.

However, it was Saturday night’s show by international guest artist Maribel Guardia that really had fair-goers on their feet.

Despite the inclement weather, people took the chance and went out to the showgrounds to see the forty-two year old actress and singer in an electrifying performance.

Maribel Guardia, Actress/Singer

“I am from Costa Rica, I was born in Costa Rica and my mother sings in Costa Rica. In the Miss Universe contest I represented Costa Rica, I’m Miss Photogenic. And I have a contract in Mexico with Televisa. It’s a very important company in television. They’re very big in Latin America.”

Guardia brings a lot of energy to the stage and she kept the audience spellbound. Guardia says she enjoyed her stay in the country and is even looking for some property to build her dream home.

But despite an increase in attendance on Saturday night, overall, the festival was less well attended than in the past. On Friday night, The committee’s president, Milo Paz, expressed his disappointment and says the organisers will meet to see what can be done.

Milo Paz, President, Festival committee

“It’s not what we had expected. But I don’t know, maybe we need to look at a different artist or I don’t know. It’s something for the committee to sit down, look over what happened and take it on from there.”

Paz says they have not yet decided whether or not it would be best for the committee to put the fair on a hold. But admits that the event has been costing them a lot of money. Sponsorship has also dropped off. Paz says in 2001, they were able to receive just over eighty thousand dollars from the business community. One year later, that sponsorship had fallen to thirty thousand dollars… just not enough money to pay the bills.

Milo Paz

“Just on entertainment we need at least a hundred thousand Belize dollars. we are non profit, so we only can depend on the public to support us.”

However, Paz says despite the challenges he would still like to see the fair continue, and the committee will work to improve things in 2003. Jacqueline Woods reporting for News 5.