In two days, on Saturday, the most important of the annual holiday parades, the Festival de la Luz, will fill the streets of downtown San José.
Hundreds of thousands will line the parade route: from the west side starting at the Gimnasio Nacional in La Sabana, to the Plaza de la Democracia to the east, as the floats and marching bands will move along Paseo Colón and Avenida Segunda.
As typical, early birds will start staking out their spot along the route early Saturday morning. By noon, the east face of La Sabana, Paseo Colon and Avenida Segunda will be blocked off to all vehicular traffic. Starting today, one or two lanes f those avenues will be closed for the erection of stands.
The marshall for this year’s event is the La Selección, Costa Rica’s national soccer team that will head for Brazil for the FIFA World Cup play in June.
The event is a magical one. If you are new to Costa Rica, are visiting or have small children, you can’t miss it.
But, if you cannot be there in person, the entire event will be broadcast live on national television. Both Teletica (channel 7) and Repretel (channel 6) will have the big guns out, with the best presentations for their television audiences.
For all who are not in Costa Rica, they can catch this magical time online at www.teletica.com. The website will be providing a simulcast of their live television transmission, from Costa Rica to the entire world.
