From Wednesday, January 12 to Monday, January 24, the town of Palmares will host one of the busiest and most popular festivals in Costa Rica: Fiestas Palmares 2011. An estimated one million people attend the festival every year to enjoy food, drinks, dancing, carnivals, concerts, topes (horse parades), music, fireworks, and tico style bull-fighting (toros a la tica). This year’s artistic and cultural activities have been organized by the Palmareña Civic Association, the Ministry of Health, and Palmareña Association for Art and Culture.
Calendar of activities
| Wednesday, January 12 | |
| 01:00 pm | Afternoon of Art and Culture |
| 06:00 pm | Lighting the Fairgrounds, opposite the church (Templo Parroquial) |
| 09:00 pm | Fireworks |
| Thursday, January 13 | |
| 12:00 pm | Horse Parade (Tope). One of the most popular activities involving the most beautiful horse breeds, inlcuding: Costa Rican, Spanish and Latin. |
| 01:00 pm | Afternoon of Art and Culture |
| 07:00 pm | Bullfighting |
| 10:00 pm | Concert: Sin Ánimo de Lucro (Colombia) in the Barra Imperial |
| Friday, January 14 | |
| 07:00 pm | Toros a la tica (Costa Rican bullfighting) |
| 07:00 pm | Evening of Art and Culture |
| Saturday, January 15 | |
| 9:00 am | Mountain bike competition: Palmarin Classic (a 46km journey which involves more than 600 people) |
| 10:00 am | Palmarin Cup Football U-12 in Palmareña Jorge Solis Stadium (7 teams participating at Sub17 level) |
| 01:00 pm | Afternoon of Art and Culture |
| 03:00 pm | Concert: Calle 13 (Puerto Rico), Los Rabanes (Panamá), and Garbanzos (Costa Rica) in the concert area |
| 04:00 pm | Bullfighting |
| 08:00 pm | Bullfighting |
| 10:00 pm | Concert: Percance (Costa Rica) vrs Dr. Krápula (Colombia) |
| Sunday, January 16 | |
| 12:00 pm | International Concert: Luis Enrique, Elvis Crespo and Nacional Grupo Expresso |
| 01:00 pm | Afternoon of Art and Culture |
| 03:00 pm | Bullfighting |
| 07:00 pm | Bullfighting |
| 07:00 pm | Concert: El Roockie (Costa Rica) in the Barra Imperial |
| 12:00 am (midnight) | Concert: Luis Enrique (Nicaragua), Elvis Crespo (Puerto Rico), and Expresso (Costa Rica) in the concert area |
| Monday, January 17 | |
| 01:00 pm | Afternoon of Art and Culture |
| 07:00 pm | Bullfighting |
| 09:00 pm | Fireworks |
| Tuesday, January 18 | |
| 9:00 am | Children’s Festival |
| 01:00 pm | Afternoon of Art and Culture |
| 03:00 pm | Children’s Bullfighting |
| 07:00 pm | Horse trotter exhibition |
| 09:00 pm | Fireworks |
| Wednesday, January 19 | |
| 01:00 pm | Afternoon of Art and Culture |
| 07:00 pm | Bullfighting |
| Thursday, January 20 | |
| 01:00 pm | Afternoon of Art and Culture |
| 07:00 pm | Star Equine Exhibition |
| Friday, January 21 | |
| 01:00 pm | Afternoon of Art and Culture |
| 05:30 pm | Carnival ICE-Kolbi Fiestas Palmares 2011 |
| 09:00 pm | Fireworks |
| 11:00 pm | Concert: T.O.K. (Jamaica) in the Barra Imperial |
| Saturday, January 22 | |
| 9:00 am | First Street Basketball Championship |
| 9:00 am | First Recreational Swimming Tournament in the Municipal Swimming pool in Palmares (it is a tournament at the Canton level) |
| 01:00 pm | Afternoon of Art and Culture |
| 03:00 pm | Palmarin Athletics Classic XXVI |
| 07:00 pm | Festival Ranchero |
| 11:00 pm | Concert: Los Calzones Rotos (Argentina) in the Barra Imperial |
| Sunday, January 23 | |
| 12:00 pm | Concert Verano Imperial: Zion y Lennox, T.O.K., Percance, Los Calzones Rotos, and Marfil in the concert area |
| 01:00 pm | Afternoon of Art and Culture |
| 03:00 pm | Monta Championship ACET |
| 07:00 pm | Bullfighting |
| Monday, January 24 | |
| 01:00 pm | Afternoon of Art and Culture |
| 03:00 pm | Bullfighting |
| 07:00 pm | Toros a la tica (Costa Rican bullfighting) |
| 09:00 pm | Fireworks (closing of the Festival) |
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