Placencia Country Fest

Festival Location: Placencia, Belize

Festival Type(s): Local Festivals , Community Festivals , Fairs

Five a Side at the Placencia Country Fest

by © Deollo Johnson 2008

The action was fierce. A player came blazing by, setting up a shot for goal, a defender in hot pursuit. The soccer ball screamed toward the goal, only to be intercepted by......a palm tree. The lull in the game comes as quickly as the play did, and the players trot back to their positions as the ball is retrieved from wherever it landed in the sand after it ricocheted off the "defending" palm tree.

This is the "5 a side" football tournament at the Placencia Country Fest 2004 in Placencia Village, Belize, Central America. The men are playing now, barefoot, some one-socked, and quick on the sand. The young girls played prior to this game in a match that would give one pause with the intensity and passion of their play. "Seems like soccer-- er, football, is a big deal here," I ruminate as I carve into a heaping plate of beans and rice, kept company by a slice of bread and a piece of caramel cake nestled in aluminum foil.

There's a nice size crowd spread along the stretch of beach that provides a residence for the festival. Some are lounging, some watching the game, some eating, some working tables selling food, others milling around with wares or plantain chips to sell-- all to the sweet, susurrating accompaniment of the Caribbean Sea.

In addition to 5-on-5 football, this country fest boasted beach volleyball, kayak racing, craft exhibits, and "greasy pole" (unfortunately, I didn't get to witness what went on for THAT event!) Huge speakers on a nearby stage are blasting some punta rock, a local style of Belizean music, and that same stage hosted the day's bands and entertainment, such as Dan Man, Easy B, Dignitariz, and Heights of Vibes.

Placencia Village, located on Placencia Peninsula in the south of Belize, sings a rhythm of an easy pace of living and a laid-back vibe that seems to pervade all lands that touch the Caribbean Sea. The folks are friendly and different cultures like Maya, Garifuna, and Creole blend together here while remaining distinct and unique. To the north of Placencia is Seine Bight Village, a fishing village established in the 1800s like its "cousin village" to the south.

Placencia's Country Fest 2004 was held on August 21 and will probably be about the same time next year. If you get to the village and wonder how to get to the fest, just bike or drive Placencia's one road or walk its one sidewalk, go toward the sea, and listen for the sounds of punta rock on the beach.

by Deollo Johnson