Nuevo Arenal Fiestas Civicas

Celebrating the fiestas civicas in Nuevo Arenal with fireworks

The week after Easter, Nuevo Arenal held its fiestas civicas that includes rodeo events over the course of a week.  Our kids participated in the kids' "running with the bulls," and they also rode in an equestrian demonstration, all inside the bull ring (plaza de toros) in town.  It was wonderful to see how much more integrated we feel in the community, compared to a year ago, when we were just spectators at the fiestas.  Nik and I helped out a bit with the colegio (high school) fund raiser in which parents and staff sold food every night of the fiestas.  It was a ton of work for the school director and the handful of parents and teachers who helped.  Sounds like things are no different here than in the US, where a small group of dedicated people do a huge amount of work.  We were glad to make a small contribution.  Our friends Jason, Jacob, Chloe and Kathy were here visiting from Ohio, so they got to participate and enjoy the festivities a bit as well.  We were thrilled to be able to share it with them!

Kathy and I helped prepare banana leaves for tamales

Tamales being assembled for sale during the fiestas

On the schedule for the first night of the fiestas was events for kids, including a clown MC, and small cows for riding and running from.   A lot of kids were down in the “floor” of the plaza having a great time.  After much arm twisting, Henry and his friend Samir made their way into the fray, always being careful to stay clear of the “bull”.  After yet more skilled persuasion by Nik and Jason, Madeleine, Chloe and Jacob also took to the field. This was not an opportunity to be missed!  They would probably never have this chance again and they might really regret it if they did not give it a try.  They mostly stayed near the edge of the ring so they could jump up on the side wall if the bull came near, but they all did venture out closer to the bull at times, which made us parents proud.

The clown MC had different activities for the kids, and Henry and Samir participated in a piggyback race.  The teams got ready, and Henry was on Samir’s back, waiting for the race to start.  Finally the MC gave the signal to start running, and Samir made it a couple of meters before he fell down, dropping Henry.  At that moment, the bull was released, and all the kids scattered, including Henry and Samir who were able to quickly get to their feet.  It still makes me laugh to think about it; can you imagine such a scenario in the US?!  The bull was in fact a young cow with no horns, and not very angry.  The real bulls for the rodeo events get ropes tied painfully around the front and back of their bellies so that they are angry and bucking when they are let out of the chute.  For tonight, the cows charged out and ran around, sometimes running after kids, but it did not really look like they planned to maul any children.  The only time someone seemed to get hurt (and then only mildly) was during the piñata, when it fell prematurely and there was momentary candy chaos. 

A few key photos were taken capturing the energy, excitement and danger (!) of the event!  

Henry and Samir enter the fray.

Henry (in yellow) ready to start the piggy back race... watch out for the bull!

Watch out kids!

Dauntless Madeleine (in pink).

They all survived to tell the tale.

Our kids have been taking horseback riding lessons since January, and their wonderful teacher, Alexandra, proposed early on that all of her students perform in a riding demonstration during the fiestas.   The result was wonderful!

Practicing for the show (our kids are 1st, 2nd and 4th from the right)

One last practice, this time in the plaza de toros.

The vaqueros ready to ride.

Muy guapa!

The big night!  (Madeleine, Henry, Sully and their fellow vaqueras, left to right)

Our crew showing off their horses.

Henry's horse, "Duke", was quite skittish on the night of the show; it must have been the bright lights and crowd.  Henry kept his cool, and Alexandra's brothers were on hand to help.  For the finale, Henry switched to the much calmer "China," and he and Madeleine looked like old pros, carrying the US and Costa Rican flags as they trotted their horses around the ring.

Another night of the fiesta, adult rodeo action:  Alexandra's brother roping the bull after the ride.

Gotcha!

It's not a fiesta without the carnival rides!

Another part of the fiestas civicas that we love is the Gran Tope.  This is a community horse riding event, in which you can see that horses are still very much a part of the culture, especially in our corner of Costa Rica.  Held on Sunday afternoon, the streets of our little town were taken over by horse trailers and trucks, and the plaza (soccer field in the center of town) became a crowded venue for riders and their horses.  After warming up, the riders paraded through town (we think past judges), most demonstrating the paso fino step that is traditional here.  It looks like hard work for the horses, but is quite beautiful to watch.  In addition to the riders, there were two bands riding in the back of trucks, plus a DJ/singer/entertainer, performing on a flatbed trailer.  Also a beer trailer, because riding horses makes one thirsty!

Riders warm up with their horses in the plaza.

The riders head out for the parade, while the spectators admire.

Beautiful horses!

Sully's classmate, Felipe, looking muy guapo.

This intersection near our house is usually very quiet.  So many riders!

All in all, it was quite a week, full of fun and excitement!  I think Arenal's fiestas will be one of our most special memories from our time in Costa Rica.