From a Saint’s day to a seasonal fruit, many occasions are celebrated in Costa Rica. Most of the fiestas include turnos (small fairs), exhibits of food, animals, and art, carnivals and days off. Read on for a calendar of the most important. Check The Tico Times for dates and locations. Note: All Expo-Ferias offer cultural events, sports, contests, and food sales.

JANUARY

New Year’s Day, Jan. 1 – holiday.

Palmares Fiestas, first two weeks of Jan. – food, carnival, rides, bingo, parades on horseback, concerts, more.

Alajuelita Fiestas, week of 15th - honors Black Christ of Esquipulas, Alajuelita’s Patron Saint, oxcart parade, pilgrimage to iron cross on mountain.

Santa Cruz Fiestas, week of 15th in Guanacaste – honor Black Christ of Esquipulas, folk dancing, marimbas, more.

Copa del Café, week-long, international tennis tourney at Country Club in Escazu – participants under 18. See tennis greats before they became famous.

Full-Moon Party, Osa Peninsula, Cocalito beach, typical foods, crafts, sea sports, cultural activities.

Annual Guanacaste String Festival, 27th, includes eclectic mix of musical styles, La Bodega, Tamarindo Resort, Tamarindo Beach. New! Mule Festival, 21-30, cultural events, sports, contests, and food sale, Parrita.

Jorge Debravo’s Day (Poetry Day), 31st, dedicated to poetry and the most famous Costa Rican poet.

Festival Chunches del Mar, 31st, artists exhibit works inspired by a month of beach combing, with a party including music, dance and an auction, Hotel Luz de Mono, Montezuma, festivalchunches-demar@luzdemono.com

FEBRUARY

Expo-Feria Perez Zeledon, first week, cattle show and sale, cowboy demonstrations, rides, concerts, livestock show, agricultural/industrial fairs, bullfights, more, Perez Zeledon.

La Fortuna Fair, First two weeks, cattle show and turno.

Puntarenas Carnival, first two weeks, two-week-long fun in the sun.

Orange Expofair (Expoferia de la Naranja), second week, citrus sales, traditional food, dances, song festival, and more, Campo Ferial, Ciudad Colon.

Open-Air Festival, last week, National Center of Culture offers free theater, concerts, dance shows.

MARCH

Liberia Fiestas, first week, Guanacaste folklore, rides, concerts, more.

Dia del Boyero (Oxcart Driver’s Day), second Sunday, San Antonio de Escazu, colorful oxcart parade, priests bless, animals, crops.

Annual Canine Festival, first week, honors Costa Rican mixed-breed dogs though all breeds welcome, contests, raffles, prizes, costumes, flea market, Plaza Roosevelt, San Pedro, Montes de Oca.

New! Chiverre Fair, second and third week, inc/food made of the huge fruit (squash family, traditional during Holy Week), sports, cultural events, dances, karaoke, Alfaro Ruiz, Zarcero, Alajuela 4km. towards San Carlos.

Annual International Food Fair, Third weekend, proceeds help poor, at IICA, Coronado.

Caribbean Music festival, at playa Chiquita, Limon, March – April.

Fruit Festival, 16 – 26, Orotina, exhibit/sale of fruits, vegetables, lectures, rides, concerts, food.

Fiesta del Sol, March 19 – 21, solar energy tools inc/light systems, water motors, toys, ovens, also celebrates Maya New Year. Casa del sol, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Guanacaste.

New! Luz de Luna Festival, third week, cultural events, inc/folklore, dance, concerts, plays, organized by the Municipal School of Integrated Arts, Santa Ana.

National Orchid Show, some 1,500 local, foreign species, hybrids on display in San Jose. Check The Tico Times for dates, venue.

Pilgrimage to Ujarras, mid-month, religious procession from Cartago to ruins of the first church in Costa Rica.

Saint Joseph’s Day, 19th, namesake neighborhoods celebrate with fairs, parades special masses.

San Jose Obrero Artisans’ fair, 19th, San Jose, huge craft fair, 19-28, former customs bldg.

New! Sol y Arena Athletic Race, third Saturday, 10 km. on the beach, Puntarenas via Paseo de Los Turistas.

APRIL

Holy Week, March of April, dramatic street processions depict crucifixion, San Jose shuts down Thurs – Sun.; many head to the beach.

Juan Santa Maria Day, 11th, commemorates Costa Rica’s national hero, legendary soldier who died in battle against William Walker’s troops in 1856. Week-long celebration, parades, concerts, dances, especially in hero’s birthplace, Alajuela.

University Week, last week, at University of Costa Rica, concerts, exhibits, parades, craziness.

MAY

Labor Day, May 1, marches, President’s annual “state of the nation” address. Congress elects leaders. Limon parties w/picnics, dances, dominoes.

New! Tourist Fair, 13 – 15, Zarcero.

San Isidro Labrador’s Day, 15th, all namesake towns honor this patron saint of farmers and farm animals with blessings of animals, crops, parades, fairs.

Carrera de San Juan, 18th, long-distance foot race on 22.5 km course.

Corpus Christi Day, 29th, national holiday, religious celebration.

JUNE

Father’s Day, 3rd Sun., dads get ties in Costa Rica too.

New! Tourist Fair, 24-26, Monteverde.

JULY

Virgin of the Sea, Sat. closest to the 16th, Puntarenas, colorful regatta of decorated fishing boats, yachts in Gulf of Nicoya salute Puntarena’s Patron Saint, the virgin of Mt. Carmel; masses, parades, dances, sports events, fireworks.

Annexation of Guanacaste, 25th, celebrates Guanacaste’s decision to be part of Costa Rica instead of Nicaragua in 1824; fiestas in Liberia, folk dances, parades, cattle shows, bullfights, concerts and tourist fair.

AUGUST

Virgin of Los Angeles, 2nd, honors Costa Rica’s Patron Saint with nationwide pilgrimage to Basilica in Cartago to celebrate miracle-working blanck virgin of Los Angeles (La Negrita).

New! Expo-Feria del Queso, 2nd. Weekend, cow milking competition, biggest cheese contest, cattle exhibit, sports, cultural events, Santa Cruz, Turrialba.

Mother’s Day, 15th, national holiday, flowers, candy, extra love to moms.

New! National Adventure Tourism Festival, 26-27, competitions, demonstrations, food sale, Turrialba and Cartago.

San Ramon’s Day, 30th, townspeople parade to San Ramon Church bearing their districts’ patron saints; “San Ramon” dances in streets; parades, fun.

Semana Cultural Afro-Costarricense, Afro-Costa Rican lectures, discussions, displays on black culture, date varies.

International Music Festival, musicians of many genres perform; date varies.

SEPTEMBER

Independence Day, 15th, gigantic relay race over entire Central American isthmus. Student runners carry “Freedom Torch” from Guatemala to Costa Rica. Torch arrives at colonial capital of Cartago at 6p.m on the 14th, when everyone, nationwide, sings national anthem. Kids go out for nocturnal homemade-lantern parades. Drum-beating, uniformed schoolchildren parade the next day.

New! Expo-Tourist Fair, 23-25, Orosi, Cartago.

OCTOBER

San Isidro de El General, 10th, celebration of the southern hub city’s founding.

Limon Carnival, week-long street dances, parades, concerts – “Mardi Gras” to a Caribbean beat.

Cultures Day, 12th, commemorates Spanish conquest, Indigenous hold protest marches.

Virgen del Pilar’s Day, 13th, fair in San Jose district of Tres Rios celebrating Patron Saint.

Fiesta del Maiz, 13th, in Upala, corn hailed with parade, costumes made of corn husks, grains, silks.

International Guitar Festival, best classic guitar players perform, date varies.

New! National Baroque Festival, second week, Santa Ana Church.

New! Palmito Fair, 14-16, sales of dishes made of Palmito, Horquetas Sarapiqui.

New! Expo-Feria del Pejibaye, 28-30, Nov. 4-6, sales of products made of pejibaye fruit and tree, Tucurrique, Cartago.

NOVEMBER

All Soul’s Day, 2nd, “Day of the Dead” families visit cemeteries to remember loved ones.

New! National Rural Tourism Fair, 11-13, organized by ICT, COPRENA and other tourism organizations, former customs bldg.

International Arts Festivals, 15-30, San Jose, Internacional theater, dance, concerts, exhibits. Don’t miss!

New! Oxcart Parade in San Jose, last Sunday, oxen owners camp in La Sabana Festival, firecrackers, next day, parade along Paseo Colon.

DECEMBER

National Artisan Fair, First week, date varies, organized by culture Ministry and San Jose Municipality; exhibits, sale of fine crafts, first San Jose, huge craft fair, former customs bldg.

New! Chicharron Fair, 2-11, Puriscal.

New! Tourism Fair, 2-4, Sardinal Guanacaste.

Christmas Choir Festival, first week choirs from around country perform at National Theater.

Fiesta de los Negritos, web of the 8th in the indigenous village of Boruca, ancient rituals combine with Catholicism to honor Virgin of Immaculate Conception, costumes, drums, music, dance.

Dance Festival, first two weeks, acclaimed national/international dancers, seminars.