Belize Travel Information - Annual Events in Belize

Celebrating Belize's colorful history

Fiesta de Carnaval - This exciting annual event, held one week before the start of Lent, celebrates traditions with a competition of special dances called comparsa.
San Pedro / Ambergris Caye Carnival - After an opening-day parade, everyone lets loose, playing practical jokes and trying to coat each other in a mix of colored powder, flour, lipstick and paint. Street dancers compete in comparsas and public figures dress in drag.

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Baron Bliss Day - Nationwide, Belizeans honor one of the country's greatest philanthropists with a harbor regatta in front of the lighthouse where Bliss is buried. Horse and cycle races round off the celebration.

Good Friday - The day is marked with special church services. In many villages, citizens carry the cross through town in a ceremonial procession.
Holy Saturday Cross-Country Classic - This international competition sends bicyclists on a route throughout Belize City.

Cashew Festival - Crooked Tree Village hosts a celebration honoring the abundant cashew harvest with live music, Caribbean-style food, traditional games, storytelling and cashew wine.
Commonwealth Day - Belize holds horse and cycle races annually on Queen Victoria's birthday (May 24).
Labour Day - Throughout the country, no one works; everyone's taking part in parades, kite contests, horse and cycle races and harbor regattas.

San Pedro Lobsterfest - This annual event doesn't just celebrate lobster season; it devours it. The fishing tournament, bicycle race and joyful music pale in comparison to the smorgasbord of lobster dishes.
Día de San Pedro - For three days, San Pedro honors Saint Peter, its patron saint. After the blessing of boats and fishermen at a special mass, the festivities begin.

International Costa Maya Festival - Originally called the Sea and Air Festival, this festival honors the countries of the Mayan empire - Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Belize. Arts and crafts fairs, ethnic food, pageants, parades and live entertainment with traditional costumes are just part of the fun.
Deer Dance Festival - Christian and Mayan cultures blend in this unusual festival. Historical reenactments, elaborate animal costumes and climbing a greased pole set this festival apart.

Independence Day - Held two weeks before St. George's Caye Day, the day is marked with flag-raising ceremonies, parades, food, dance and lots of music. The crowning of Miss San Pedro is the highlight.
St. George's Caye Day - This day remembers the Spanish defeat of 1798. Celebrations are similar to Independence Day, and in some regions the first celebration just continues on until the two days merge.

Garifuna Settlement Day - To celebrate the arrival of the Garifuna people to Belize in 1832, this public holiday is filled with music, re-enactments and cultural dance.