Summary of Toledo District 3rd Annual Cacao Festival

The 3rd Annual Cacao-Fest kicked off on May 22nd, 2009 on Friday in Punta Gorda with an evening of “Wine and Chocolate.”  Over 200 people from around the world and the Toledo District attended the event held beneath the stars on the University of Belize’s terrace.  The evening was filled with organic chocolate, provided by local cacao growers, fine international wines, and delectable hors d'oeuvres set to the talented Dellile Academy Choir and Marimba music.       

The 2009 Cacao-Fest continued on Saturday with the Taste of the Toledo Fair held in Punta Gorda’s Central Park.  Plenty of traditional food and drink from Toledo’s diverse cultural groups such as the Garifuna, Mayan, and Indian could be found throughout the day at the fair.  Visitors perused the kiosks in which local artisans from the Toledo District showcased their arts and crafts.  The day’s activities ranged from local cacao growers demonstrating how to make chocolate, live musical performances by the Cool J Band, and the Cacao for Kid’s event which engaged children in games from punch board, face painting, to a chess tournament. During the celebration many visitors took a refreshing dip in the ocean’s cool waters with Garbutt’s Marine which offered guided snorkeling tours to the beautiful fringing reef of Frenchman’s Cay.   For those who wanted a more tranquil experience of bird watching, Tide Tours offered kayak tours in the Port of Honduras and Joe Taylor’s Creek.

Saturday evening’s Culture in Harmony offered a plethora of live entertainment from Garifuna drumming and reggae to the first ever Miss Cacao-Fest 2009.  Local restaurants and bars in Punta Gorda celebrated the town’s rich cultural heritage by exhibiting some of the area’s finest musical talent from the New Vibes Band, Luwanuguma Garifuna Drummers, and the mighty, versatile Cool J Band.  This year’s Cacao-Fest hosted the festival’s first pageant in which five girls: Berali Hernandez, Arianie Teul, Blanca Ruano, Melita Acal, and Yahira Rodriguez vied to be crowned as Miss Cacao-Fest 2009.  The girls performed cultural dances, exhibited their individual talents, and expressed their knowledge of the cacao industry.  During the pageant, local performers graced the stage to present traditional Garifuna dances, break dancing, and a solo by Lila Varnen.  At the end of the evening, the panel of five judges crowned Arianie Teul as Miss Cacao-Fest 2009.

On Sunday morning, spectators traveled to Lubaantun, the site of Southern Belize’s largest Mayan ruins, to witness the Moro Dance. During the dance festival, spectators toured the ruins, perused the kiosks where local Mayans exhibited their arts and crafts and sampled traditional Mayan culinary dishes and the infamous Cacao Drink, a chocolate juice that in ancient times was reserved for the gods.  After the dance festival everyone headed back into Punta Gorda for the closing ceremony and final concert.  The evening culminated with live music performed by local acts from around the Toledo District as well as the Cool J band.

Toledo is a beautiful and charming district known for its rich diversity of cultures, wild jungle, pristine marine environment, and delectable organic chocolate. This year’s Cacao Fest highlighted the community’s diverse heritage, educated the public on the complexities of cacao growing, harvesting, and production as well as provided entertainment for all to enjoy.