CacaoFest 2012 - Friday 18 May to Sunday 20 May 2012
It's time to stimulate your senses, and head down to Belize's beautiful deep south for the Toledo Cacao Festival. Packed with activities for the young and old alike, CacaoFest pays tribute to the organic cacao farmers and Belizean chocolatiers.
Join us over the Commonwealth Day Holiday Weekend for the Toledo District's celebration of cacao, and our rich cultural heritage - 18th to 20th May 2012!
Click here for Cacao Fest Flyer
Friday 18th May
Wine and Chocolate Night at Coral House Inn - 7:30 PM-10:00 PM
Wine and chocolate Tickets are on sale for $45.00 before May 12 and will be for $50.00 on May 13 onwards. Ticket can be purchased at BTIA office Toledo, BTB and BTIA Belize City.
- Live Mayan Harp Music with Florencio Mes and the Tumul Kin Marimba group
- Intermission with Jazz music provided by Oscar Burk and Co.
- Chocolate creations from Belize's formost chocolatiers - Kakaw, Goss, and Cotton Tree.
- Sumptuous food & Fine Premuim Wine
- 10:00 PM Fire Works
Saturday 19th May
Taste of Toledo Craft and Food Fair Front Street Fest - 9:00 AM - 5 PM
- Kings Gas station to BTIA Office on Front Street
- Cultural Food and Dance
- Craft Booths – Toledo arts
- Cacao For Kids - games and treats, face painting, story telling, rock painting, puppet making and much more.
- Chocolate Movies and Docmentaries
- Sea Toledo, Snorkelling, Kayaking, Boat ride on the Port Honduras Marine Reserve
- Inland tours – Cacao Trail tours, chocolate Making & waterfalls
- Zip lining tours and river tubing at the Big Falls Extreme Adventure
- Chocolate Stout by Bowen and Bowen on sale
- Drinks by Heineken
- Archaeology exhibits by NICH
- Visit the Belize Chocolate Company on Kakaw Products, Goss Chocolate, Cirila’s Chocolate and Cotton Tree Chocolate.
- Visit the TCGA booth and learn about Organic and Fairtrade Farming. Purchase yourself a cacao plan and help change the World’s Chocolate.
- Visit Cotton Tree Chocolate to learn more on process of making chocolate
- Dolomite plant and learn the vital role this mineral plays in cacao farming
- The fine art and archaeology exhibits form NICH
- Visit Cotton Tree Chocolate to learn more on process of making chocolate
- Wide range of local Art & Crafts
- Enjoy the live cultural music all day
- Beverages by Heineken and Bowen and Bowen
- Drumming & Dance Group
- Variety of Chocolate foods
Sea Toledo Tours: 9:00 to 12:00 - 1:00 to 4:00
Punta Gorda is Toledo’s gateway to lush rainforest, Blue rivers from the Maya Mountains; and beautiful off Shore Cayes.
CALL TIDE TOURS @ 722 2129 to reserve your Tours
Tours Prices Time
- Cacao Farm Tour - Adults $50.00 & $25.00 for Children ages 5 to 9 9:00am -12:00 & 1pm - 4pm
- Kayaking - Adults $20.00 & $10.00 for Children (Tide Tours every 2 hours)
- Offshore Caye Tour to Frenchman Caye - $45.00 per person 10.00 am
- Boat ride from Rio Grande Mouth to Orange Point - $5.00 adult and $3.00 for Children 10:00am to11:00am- 1:00 to 2:00pm
Open Air Concert Featuring Toledo’s Finest - 7:30 PM - 10:00 PM
- Open Air Concert Kicks off at 7:30 PM and ends with a Fireworks display at 10:30 PM
- Entertainment by Toledo’s Paul Nabor, Leela Vernon, Florencio Mes, Lascelle, Grupo Maya Indigeno and the New Rebels
- Beverages by Heineken and Bowen and Bowen
Culture, Music and Dance - Sunday 20th May -
Click here for Lubaantun Flyer
Sunday 20th Lubaantun Mayan Temple
- Local food
- Mayan Cultural dance and presentations by Tumul Kin,
- Deer Dance
- Special performance by Palenque Rojo of Chiapas, Mexico
- Local Arts & Crafts
- Finale Concert with Leela Vernon, Florencio Mes and the Grupo Maya Indigeno
- Beverages for Sale – Chocolate Stout
Finale dance by Palenque Rojo Presents
the mythical story of the Mayan Ruler Kan Joy Chitam II, son of the great ruler Pakal II and brother of the notable Kan Balam II. it is their lineage which gave splendor to the majestic city of Palenque.
In the extraordinary lands of the Maya, embraced on all sides by the jungle with its exoticism, wild beasts, and magic, there was a period which gave rise to two great city-states: Palenque and Toniná. These two cities fought to control the commercial route from the Gulf of Mexico to the heart of the Petén (in present-day Guatemalea). In Palenque Rojo, we present one of the most important moments of this power struggle, as related in a beautiful bas-relief: the kidnapping of the Ruler Kan Joy Chitam.
Full details of the events are published in the special Festival edition of the Toledo Howler newspaper.
Please use our contact form if you have any questions about the Festival, email us at info@tcgabelize.com, or call the Festival Office at 722-2531.
CacaoFest Sponsors
CacaoFest is the product of a committed group of volunteers from the Toledo community, including Toledo Cacao Growers Association and BTIA Toledo, but it would not be possible without the invaluable help and support of our Festival sponsors:
Our Mission
"The Toledo Cacao-Festival Committee was formed in 2006 by members of the Toledo branch of the BTIA and other key stakeholders, to organize an annual community development event.
We seek to raise awareness of the Toledo District and its unique cultural and environmental diversity, promote sustainable tourism throughout the District, and extend the tourist season for the benefit of the entire community."
Our Aims and Objectives
- To organise an annual community CacaoFest, designed to raise awareness of the Toledo District through the development and promotion of a sustainable tourism product
- To increase the number of visitors to the Toledo District to the benefit of the entire community through the 'ripple effect'
- To work with other stakeholders in the Toledo District with similar and comparable interests, including the Toledo Cacao Growers Association, and the BTIA Toledo Chapter in supporting the BTIA's goals of promoting sustainable tourism while maintaining the natural and cultural integrity of Belize.
- To provide a fair and transparent process for businesses to tender for all elements of the Festival which are sub-contracted.
- To assist those local businesses identified as a result of the tender process through the provision of mentoring and training, as necessary, to improve the professionalism and quality of the product.
- To improve the infrastructure and appearance of the area.
- To do all such other lawful things as are incidental or conducive to the attainment of any of the above objectives.
How the Festival Makes a Difference
As a responsible tourism event, the Festival draws together a wide range of stakeholders from the community - the cacao farmers, environmental groups, artisans, performers, restaurants, tourism and transportation providers among others. As well as a cultural celebration to help foster a resurgence of ethnic pride, the Festival raises funds for community projects - including the ongoing re-development of Punta Gorda's Central Park, and improvements to the Lubaantun visitors' centre. Marketing workshops are held to develop new product ideas and help the artisans with their packaging, display and selling skills, and the Festival also aims to raise awareness of the Toledo District as a responsible tourism destination, thereby benefitting the community through the associated ripple effect.