QCOSTARICA (By Ariana Crespo, Vozdeguanacaste) On the evening of Friday, January 30 Yarelis Bonilla was crowned Señorita Nosaara, Queen of the fiestas. Although the competition was limited this year, with only four candidates, the young women shined splendidly from their heads to their toes, parading in their best evening gowns before an excited crowd of more than 200 people.
According to the event’s organizer, Rocio Navarrete, this year the event was slightly different. Due to the low number of candidates, the queen was elected by the Beauty Pageant Committee on Sunday, January 25, according to the amount of money they collected, and not during the ceremony.
“The candidate that got the highest amount of sponsorship was elected queen; it wasn’t worth it to bring in an outside jury for just four young women,” explained Navarrete.
Beginning in October, the candidates were assigned the task of raising money to invest in the audiovisual system outside the bull ring. Yarelis Bonilla Lopez, a 17 year-old, was crowned as queen, having raised ¢430,000 ($800).
The candidates and the queen-elect were presented for the first time in the fairgrounds to open the fiestas on Thursday, January 29 along with the Nosara horse riding group Los Cumiches.
Local companies that made donations included Nosara Dental Care, which offered a dental whitening treatment to the queen, and Gollo, which contributed a tablet.
The event was held at the Imperial tent after a dance with Son del Barrio, a few minutes before midnight.
(Via Vozdeguanaste.com)