Fiesta!

19 November Garifuna Settlement Day celebrates the arrival of the first Garifuna in 1832, descendants of the Black Caribbeans who were first deported from St Vincent in 1797. The day showcases their rich, unique culture with music and a staging of the arrival by the first settlers at the port. Processions and traditional dancing are held throughout Belize, but especially in Dangriga, the spiritual home of the Garifuna, plus in Hopkins and Punta Gorda. The Garifuna flag is then raised throughout the country: a mix of yellow, white and black. Yellow represents the sun, white for peace and black is the color of the people. After the flag-raising there are cultural presentations and a series of official ceremonies.<

22 – 24 February The whole of Belize celebrates carnival, but nowhere parties quite like San Pedro on Ambergris Caye. On the first day, a parade kicks off the celebrations, there is live music, local food stalls and street dancing. Each year prizes are given to the best dance group. The final and official day of Carnival is “paint day”, where the objective is to paint as many people as possible. If you don't want to be painted stay in your resort, it can be a little wild but fun!<

21 - 23 May The Toledo District of southern Belize is home to the organic cacao orchards and farms where the pods are grown extensively, harvested and processed and transformed into chocolate. Cacao has played a dominant role in Belize since ancient times, when the Maya first discovered the 'magical' process that transformed cacao into chocolate, right through to the modern day. The area comes to life in May to celebrate with ‘CacaoFest’. The three days of celebrations include an evening of wine and chocolate and the Taste of Toledo cookery and craft fair.  There is also Cacao for Kids activities, which includes a sock-puppet class and creating the longest rain forest mural in Belize with a chalk pavement art scene. The Cacao Trail tours take you through the organic cacao orchards in to learn how the pods are grown, harvested and processed before being turned into chocolate and the "Culture in Harmony" evening features music from the famous Umalali Group. The farms in Toledo are the sole supplier for the UK’s Green and Black’s luxury, organic chocolate, with its award winning Maya Gold brand of chocolate. There are also four locally produced brands of chocolate - Kakaw, Goss, Cotton Tree, and Cyrila's. CacaoFest is the product of a committed group of volunteers from the Toledo community seeking to raise awareness of the Toledo District and its unique cultural and environmental diversity, promote sustainable tourism and extend the tourist season for the benefit of the community<

14 - 20 June The streets of Ambergris Caye burst into life during this annual event to celebrate the start of the lobster season. The focus of activities includes a fishing tournament, a bicycle race, music, drinks and, of course, lobster. Throughout the week various restaurants host themed evenings, demonstrating their creativity in coming up with the most impressive lobster based menus. The finale of the week is held on the Saturday in Central Park, where almost every restaurant and bar hosts a booth showcasing their lobster creations and inventive accompanying cocktails. Lobster ice cream anyone? Live music, poker tournaments and plenty of dancing are also on the menu making it one not to be missed.<

Mid August Vibrant dance, music and ceremonies mark the reuniting of the ancient Mayan Empire. Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Belize join together to promote and celebrate goodwill between the Central American countries with a four day multicultural celebration held on the streets of San Pedro. Entertainers offer festival goers a wide array of music including Punta, Reggae, Soca, Salsa, Merengue, Cumbia, and traditional Maya music with dances telling of the Mayan culture, traditions and rich heritage. Booths displaying arts and craft, games, clothing, food as well as rides and carnival games jostle for space.<

10 September St George’s Caye Day marks the defeat of the Spanish navy in 1798 on St. George's Caye by a heroic crew of British settlers, buccaneers and liberated slaves and was the last attempt by the Spanish to attempt to dislodge the English. It's another good excuse for Belizeans to party and take a vacation, running almost right through to the country’s official Independence Day on 21st September. Of the countless activities throughout the day, there is the crowning of Miss San Pedro, a tug-of-war competition, a children's bicycle race, a fishing tournament and food and drinks galore<

21 September Honoring the country's independence from Great Britain in 1981, enjoy the flag-raising ceremonies and carnival celebrations, then dance the night away and indulge in the local cuisine in celebration of Belize’s multicultural society.<