China will be guest of honor at Costa Rica International Arts Festival.

Friday, April 11 is not just a day of celebration and homage to national hero Juan Santamaría, but also the beginning of San José’s Festival Internacional de las Artes 2008. With more than 350 shows and activities, the International Art Festival will feature 70 groups and individual artists from more than 20 countries and China, Costa Rica’s most recent political ally, will be featured as guest of honor with its own cultural pavilion and special performances throughout the event.

Among the festival’s cultural and artistic offerings are dance, live theater, opera, magic, clowns, live music, parades, puppet shows, movies and more, guaranteeing festival goers of all ages a great time. In fact, the semi-annual festival hopes to attract 1 million visitors this year, 500,000 more than in 2006.

In San José, the 11th International Arts Festival will take place outdoors in el Parque Metropolitano La Sabana . A quick pass-by will already show evidence of the festival’s impending arrival, with huge stage platforms and tents decorating the park’s greenery. There is even a Banco Nacional stage that was constructed over the lake.

In addition to this main festival locale, josefinos will enjoy smaller shows and exhibits near or in the Teatro Nacional, Sala Oscar Fessler, Teatro Popular Melico Salazar, and Teatro de la Danza, all located in downtown. There will also be several festival favorites in Alajuela and Puntarenas, so plan your excursion accordingly.

Costa Rica invested almost $1 million in this year’s International Arts Festival, and funds are courtesy of the Ministry of Culture as well as several sponsors. The large investment is said to be by the people and for the people, as all the hard work will bring 8 days of almost-free cultural fun to the region. But don’t interpret the small end price tag as an indicator of the festival’s quality - most offerings will be enough to wow you.

The International Arts Festival 2008 will welcome more than 5,000 artists, among them both national and international. Their works will be displayed all around town, though you will only have to pay to see those that are located in one of the theaters or salas: ¢2,500 general admission and ¢1,500 students and senior citizens. And if you’re interested in the festival’s live theater and opera options, buy your tickets soon, as they’re selling out very quickly.

To give you an idea of the type and caliber of the 2008 International Arts Festival, please see our [very abridged] sampling of the activities that will be offered:

Panchorizo y La Araña: Big Top Kids’ Tent - 10 a.m. / April 11 / Guatemala-Argentina collaboration
La Boheme: Teatro Variedades (on the big screen) - 8 p.m./ April 11 / Spain
du & nichs: Street Theater Platform - 7 p.m. / April 12 / Austria
Impromptu: Russian Street Stand - 1 p.m. / April 13 / Costa Rica
Flamenco Group Madera Vieja: Music Stage - 6 p.m./ April 13 / Spain
Par 23 and Arte Culinario Chino: Movie at the Big Top Kids’ Tent - 6 p.m. / April 14 / Costa Rica and China
Trío Reru: Live Music Street Platform - 3 p.m. / April 15 / Switzerland-Uruguay collaboration

To learn more, please visit the FIA website (Spanish only), which includes a full schedule in PDF format (for Word format, go to the press section): festivadelasartescostarica.com

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Filed under: Costa Rica News on April 10th, 2008