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Palmares Fiestas
Culture - Holidays & Festivals

Costa Rican CowboyWhen Ticos are done celebrating the Christmas and New Year holidays, they have yet another party to look forward to:  The Palmares fiestas, one of Costa Rica’s most anticipated traditional celebrations.

Palmares, a small town between Alajuela and San Ramon, is known for hosting the best fiestas and tope (horse parade) in the country.  During the second half of January, Palmares becomes the focal point for many Ticos.

This year, the Palmares fiestas will begin on the evening of January 16th and continue until the 28th with a series of “eventos” planned by the Asociacion Civica Palmarena.  These include concerts, fireworks, sports activities, “chinamo” tents with alcohol and food, the toros a la Tica (Costa Rican-style bullfighting) and a traditional tope. 

The lighting of the fair grounds, a parade of “faroles” (lanterns), and the start of the Palmarin Soccer Cup at the stadium officially begin the fiestas.  The masses arrive at the start of the tope, a horse parade through the streets of Palmares, starting around noon on the 17th.  At the tope, participants ride their best horses through the downtown streets, showing off their beautiful steeds with fancy steps and tropical Latino western wear.  The tope is the perfect example of the organizers’ advertising slogan: “Palmares: Un pueblo para hacer amigos” (a town to make friends).

Spectators prepared for the hot midday sun will be wearing sunglasses, cowboy hats and sun block, as they line up along the route to see the show.  It is the place to be seen by others as they chat with friends, move to the music and drink cool beverages (mostly “birras”) to stay refreshed in the heat.  This year the tope has been dedicated to Jose Manuel Zelaya Gonzalez, the President of Honduras, for his great equestrian background and friendliness towards the Costa Rican people. 

After the tope the party continues at the various chinamos – improvised bars under huge tents constructed just for this January event.  These bars, sponsored by local beer and alcohol companies, are open until dawn for the entire two weeks.  Ticos will travel from all over Costa Rica to spend a night at the tents drinking, dancing and watching all the beautiful people having a good time.

During the two weeks of the Palmares fiestas, the tradition of toros a la Tica, the tico-style of bullfighting, can be enjoyed at the stadium.  The event is attended by hundreds of “toreros improvisados” (improvised bullfighters), who get in the ring to taunt the bull and test their fate.  Unlike traditional bullfighting, anyone with enough courage can participate in the event by getting in the ring with the bull.  The bull is not killed, as this type of bullfighting is more of a comical event than a duel. A few Mexican toreros are also brought in to perform traditional Spanish-style bullfights.

The open air concerts at Palmares are always a tico favorite. Thousands will be delighted by Reggaeton superstars and famous Latin alternative rock bands.  It is now a tradition that big international acts are booked on both Sundays of the fiestas.

For the sports enthusiasts there will be a 13.5 kilometer race, open to everyone, and a very famous mountain bike competition, the “Clasica Palmarin”, a 40 kilometer race held on the steepest trails around Palmares. Futbol fans can also catch soccer games throughout the two weeks at the Palmarin Soccer Cup, a minor league soccer tournament.

In Costa Rica there are fiestas once a year in every town, but when it comes to the best, the town of Palmares is king.  We hope to see you there.

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