QCOSTARICA – The Fiestas de Palmares (Palmares Festivities) will return in January 2023 after two years of absence due to the prohibition of mass activities during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The organizing committee confirmed that the 2023 edition of Palmares is on, an event that will last eleven days for those interested in attending.
Marco Ramírez, a member of the organizing committee, announced that there will be activities for all ages.
Ramírez said that they will seek to make the Fiestas de Palmares a safe experience and promise a “renewed concept.”
In the coming weeks, the organizers plan to announce more details of what to come, such as the musical groups that will be at the event.
For years, the Fiestas de Palmares was the party to attend, very popular in the area, while bringing together people from different parts of the country.
While “Zapote” has been the biggest (attendance-wise) of the season (December-January) events, Palmares, in Alajuela, is one of the most highly anticipated and one of the biggest in Costa Rica.
Among the activities expected is the ‘carnaval’, ‘tope’, bars and street food, games and attractions and of course the “corridas de toros” (bullfights).
It’s not a Costa Rican party without bullfighting! However, these bullfights are “a la tica”, which means that Costa Ricans have a twist on the traditional bullfight. Impromptu bullfighters jump into the arena to entice the bull to charge at them as they try to escape it.
The enjoyment for many is the comic aspect and how brave (or stupid) people are to jump into a closed area with a bull. But be assured, all the bulls are also protected by SENASA, an entity in charge of protecting animals in Costa Rica, which means the bulls do not get hurt. As for the Impromptu bullfighters, well, let’s say that, sometimes, it is not the case.
