The Jaco Art Festival will start next Saturday.

On May 24, the festivities begin in Jacó, as the first Festival de las Artes Audiovisuales de Garabito (Garabito Audiovisual Arts Festival) kicks off. The 9-day long program continues in a national campaign to promote culture and the arts, arriving on the heels of the 11th International Arts Festival and the Urban Arts Festival, both hosted in San José.

The Jacó festival promises all kinds of art — from sculpture to circus — and events are planned daily, usually between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. The festivities come courtesy of a joint effort between local artists, performers, and tourism workers, and the Municipality of Garabito, the section of Jacó that will host the event.

The festival will begin with an inauguration parade that will be performed along the Avenida Pastor Díaz — beginning at the Best Western Hotel and continuing through to the main municpality bulding — and 15 folkloric groups will perform, each bringing their own flavor of local music, song, and dance. As is characteristic in many Costa Rican parades, the famous mascaradas (cultural parades where people dress in giant costumes as various cultural characters) will be present, accompanied by their own cimarronas (small bands that play typical music).

On opening day, there will be a food buffet at the Garabito municipality building, followed by circus performances from 4 p.m. – 6 p.m., and live music at night. Sunday’s events begin in the late afternoon, and offer more circus fun, live afro-latino music, and a to-be-announced live band at 8 p.m. Throughout the week, there will be further circus performances, plenty of live music, movie showings, fireworks, and more.

In addition to the event’s live activities, the streets of Garabito will be filled with an artisans’ fair, offering exquisite handmade goods, a large art exhibition, an exposition of photography and sculpture, and the renowned artist Francés Herve Vieule will be performing sculpture presentations and examples everyday. And for those interested in vocal expression, the festival has alluded to the possibility of the country’s famous Cantando Por Un Sueño (Singing for a Dream) television show coming along for the ride.

To test your own artistic skills, don’t hesitate to participate in one or several of the festival’s educational workshops, which promise to teach you the fine art of sculpture, the delicate lines of painting, and how to sing a scale. Though you may never go pro, the arts are part of an enjoyable life, as many of the artists present will gladly tell you.

The Festival de las Artes Audiovisuales de Garabito is just over a week away, so plan your schedule accordingly. Though not in the Central Valley, Jacó is accessible to many, located less than 2 hours away from San José by car or very frequent bus. After all, art demonstrations, Costa Rican parades, and live music that lasts into the night are all well worth a bumpy ride.

For more information and scheduling, please see the Festival de las Artes Audiovisuales website.

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Filed under: Travel on May 15th, 2008