January
First two weeks -Fiestas de Palmares in Palmares, a quiet village 56 km west San Jose. Carnival rides, bullfighting, music and folk dancing.
February
San Isidro General Fair has livestock shows, industrial fairs, bull teasing and andagricultural and flower exhibition.
Puntarenas Carnival: Offering a week of fun in a working town that knows how to party.
March
Oxcart´s drivers day (dia del boyero), San Antonio de Escazu. A parade of colorful oxcarts, along with competitions and animal blessings.
Second week: The International Arts Festival throughout towns in the Central Valley. One of the best of its kind. Most Cultural events take place in San Jose.
In Orotina the Fruit Festival: Fruits and vegetables from all across the country are exhibited and sold. Rides, food, lectures and concerts.
April
Holy Week. Religious processions depict crucifixion. Holy Week is especially popular in San Jose, Cartago and Heredia.
May
Labor´s Day. Nobody work
June
Father´s Day
August
Honors to Costa Rica´s Patron Saint La Negrita. This is known as the Virgin of Los Angeles Day, with a nationwide pilgrimage to Cartago. Worshippers crawl on their knees in a procession.
September
September 15th, the Independence Day. All of the Central America celebrates their natural mutual Independence Day. In Costa Rica, student runners carry a “Freedom Torch” from Guatemala to Cartago, timed to arrive at precisely 6pm on the 14th, when everyone in the country stops and sings the national anthem.
October
Carnaval in Limón. Mardi Grass style parades, floats and dancing in the streets.
December
Lights Festival in San Jose, features homes and businesses decorated with lights. Parades, concerts and nightly fireworks displays.
Festejos Populares. South San Jose fairgrounds at Zapote out on the country´s largest and most unusual year-end bash with rides, food, bull teasing, music and fireworks. As many as 200 people cram into the bullring and bull is released in the crowd.
Christmas Day. Traditionally dinner includes tamales, corn meal pastry stuffed with meat and wrapped and cooked in corn husk or banana leaves.
