La Fiesta Del Pueblo Celebrates 21st Anniversary in Orange Walk

San Jose Nuevo Palmar Village, in Orange Walk District, will come alive on Sunday for La Fiesta del Pueblo. This is the twenty-first year the community is hosting the event in recognition of the day the village was founded. It will begin with a mass and a brief opening ceremony. Following the formalities, visitors will be able to enjoy a day filled with cultural food, music, and dance. We spoke with the President of the Northern Maya Association of Belize, Arturo Cantun, one of several persons who helped to organize the event.

Arturo Cantun

Arturo Cantun, President, Northern Maya Association of Belize

“This Sunday we are having the twenty-first La Fiesta Del Pueblo in San Jose Nuevo Palmar and it is to celebrate the Anniversary of the founding of San Jose Nuevo Palmar, eighty-six years since the Yucatec community was founded. Also, we are using the opportunity to highlight, showcase the Yucatec Maya culture of northern Belize. This Sunday it is going to be a day full of activities. We are starting with a mass t celebrate the anniversary. Immediately after, we start within a cultural parade starting from Liberty Avenue and ends at the Plaza Maximo Perez in San Jose Palmar. We have a short official opening ceremony, then right after that we jump into the live performances, dances, music, games, happening up until six in the evening. Throughout the course of the day, we are having food booths, exhibits. We are going to have cultural artisans, showcasing their products. So people will have an opportunity to walk to the booths and experience how these traditional meals are prepared, like chimole, corn tortillas, and the pibil. They are going to join in preparing these meals and of course buy themselves a plate of food and enjoy with the family. It is going o be a day, educational and entertainment for the entire family.”