Click here for the 2023 Updated Food Festival Blog Article
Are you a Foodie planning a trip to Belize soon?
Or maybe you just like food or enjoy festivals? If you really want to experience what Belize is all about, check out some of the amazing Belize Food festivals. Each food festival is annual. So, it’s never too late to plan for the next one!
Whether a one-day or multi-day event, Belize Food Festivals are always fun regardless of their popularity or size. While each food festival is unique, there are some similarities. Also, it’s an opportunity for Belizeans and tourists to get together and celebrate the best of Belize culture, music, and food.
Belize Food Festivals occur during the low-tourist season (May-Nov), which provides an extra incentive for vacationers to visit. So, you may have heard of some of these festivals, but others are virtually unknown. When visiting Belize, experience some of these amazing Belize Food festivals!
Please note that due to the pandemic, some of these Belize Food festivals have not yet resumed. Hopefully by 2023 all of them (and maybe even some new ones) will be on the Food Festival Calendar.
Fifteen scrumptious food festivals listed by month:
MAY
- Cayo Corn Festival
- Cashew Festival
- Chocolate Festival
- Coconut Festival
JUNE/JULY
- Pibil Festival
- Mango Festival
- Lobsterfest (x3)!
JULY
- Coconut, Corn & BBQ Festival
AUGUST
- Belize Banana Festival
SEPTEMBER
- Willows Bank Fyah Haat Festival
OCTOBER
- Sugar City Rum Festival
- TIDE Fish Festival
NOVEMBER
- Taco Festival
MAY
There are four food festivals usually scheduled in May, The Cashew Festival, Coconut Festival, Corn Festival and the Cacao (Chocolate) Festiva
Cayo Corn Festival
Corn is a staple food to Maya and Mestizo cuisines in Belize. Foods such as salbutes, panades, and tamalitos are tasty treats. Held in mid-August, the Cayo Corn Festival honors Belize ancestors who are the fabric of the current-day Belize culture. This one-day event happens on Burns Avenue in downtown San Ignacio. In addition to the food, there are cultural presentations and live entertainment. Sorry, no link could be found dedicated to this festival. But here’s a link to an article about the festival.
Cashew Festival
First, in early to mid-May head to Crooked Tree Village on an island inside the Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary in rural north Belize for the Cashew Festival. The Crooked Tree Cashew Festival features tasty cashew-based dishes, including desserts, stews, and even wine! Crooked Tree is a small village where the fertile soil and warm weather create the ideal environment for cashew trees to thrive. Originating 16 years ago in 1992, the Cashew Festival is one of the ‘must-do’ food festivals in Belize.
Toledo Cacao Festival
One food festival a month is never enough! So, in mid to late May, head down south to Punta Gorda for the three-day Chocolate festival celebrating the cacao bean! The Chocolate Festival event features food, music, demonstrations and information about the various ways the Maya utilized the Cacao bean.
Caye Caulker Coconut Festival
If two food festivals in a month are not enough for the foodie in you, then check out the Caye Caulker Coconut Festival. This late May festival features food, beverages, crafts and a parade. Sadly, there is not a dedicated web presence for this festival.
JUNE/JULY
In June/July (sometimes these food festivals are in June…. sometimes in July) head to Hopkins, Corozal, Placencia and the Cayes (Ambergris & Caulker) for six different food festivals! Start in Hopkins for the early June Mango Festival. Then head up to Corozal for the Pibil Festival and Coconut, Corn & BBQ Festival. Then finally hit one, two or all three of the Lobster Fests from mid-June to early July!
Hopkins Mango Festival
Did you know there are over 20 varieties of mangos that grow in Belize? Not all mangoes taste alike – so head to the Hopkins Mango festival to try some…. or all! Villagers set up stalls on the beach where visitors can enjoy mangoes plain, or as the main ingredient in appetizers, entrees, desserts and even wine! Sometimes called the ManguFest, CLICK HERE for additional information
Pibil Festival
In Progresso, Corozal District, there is a traditional food fest you won’t want to miss. Pibil is a dish consisting of pork wrapped in banana leaves that is buried at the bottom of a fire pit to cook. It is a traditional Maya dish, and it is usually celebrated at the end of June in the village of Progresso. Sadly, I couldn’t find a festival link to share, but in 2022 the Festival was back on June 30th.
LobsterFest (x 3!)
The Lobsertfests in Belize are the most well-known of the Belize food festivals. There are three different Lobsertfests held every year during Lobster season in June/July. The coastal communities of San Pedro, Caye Caulker, and Placencia celebrate the lobster catch with festive activities and cook lobster in every way imaginable.
Here are links to each of the Lobsterfests, which will hopefully be updated with new information each year.
While July is known for the Lobster Festivals, a lesser known but just as delicious food festival is the Coconut, Corn & BBQ Festival in Corozal. So, if you overdose on lobster, or just want to add more variety to your plate and enjoy more authentic Belize food & culture, this is the food festival for you.
Coconut, Corn & BBQ Festival
This festival celebrates the best of Belize culture with traditional and modern twists on the staple foods of Belize, corn, coconut, BBQ, meat, and beer. Competitions include dancing, Coconut husking, Corn on the Cob eating, and Taco Eating, among a few. There is also a parade and pageantry. Click here for more information: Hopefully this is a festival that will return soon.
AUGUST
After a very busy (and tasty) June & July, food festivals continue in August. In mid-to-late August head to San Juan Village in the Toledo District for the Belize Banana Festival.
Belize Banana Festival
The Belize Banana Festival showcases the banana industry as well as highlights other firms and businesses in the area. San Juan Village in the Toledo district is the location of this relatively new festival. You’ll find more information here: Belize Banana Festival
SEPTEMBER
Belizeans save much of September for two major patriotic celebrations including independence from Great Britain. Click here for more information about Belize Holiday celebrations. So, if you do visit in September, there will still be a lot of festivals, parades & parties. However, only one festival is dedicated to food and it can’t be missed!.
Willows Bank Fyah Haat Feast
To showcase the use of cooking on a fire hearth and to keep tradition, heritage and culture alive, the “Willows Fyah Haat Festival” was born! Renamed in 2022 to the Fyah Haat Feast, and previously held in August, the tradition continues.
So, head to the Belize District September to experience the age-old Belize tradition of fire hearth cooking. Activities during the festival include a contest where contestants prepare meals using the traditional cooking method known as ‘Fyah Haat.’ Other events include beer drinking contests, greasy pole competition and volleyball games. The Festival changed its name this year to Fyah Haat Feast. Click on the link for more information.
OCTOBER
Moving on to October, we have two more food festivals to enjoy, the Sugar City Rum Festival and the Tide Fish Festival.
Sugar City Rum Festival
This annual festival in Orange Walk celebrates the local rum industry. Belize distilleries are featured in this fun-filled event with games, cultural presentations, musical performances, competitions and lots of food and rum! Usually held in October, word has it that it might be moved to February in the future. Unfortunately, this is another festival with little web presence.
TIDE Fish Festival
If it’s the coast you prefer, then the Toledo TIDE (Toledo Institute for Development and Environment) Fish Festival in Punta Gorda is for you. In addition to a Seafood Gala, this event raises awareness of environmental issues and celebrates the environment and our natural resources. So, head to Punta Gorda in mid-October to taste fresh seafood caught from the Port Honduras Marine Reserve and enjoy local cultural entertainment! For information on TIDE Fish Festival check here.
NOVEMBER
November brings an end to the annual Belize Food Festivals, and this last one is a tasty one! Held at the end of November the Taco Fest features a wide variety of tacos cooked in different styles.
Taco Fest
The Taco Festival in Orange Walk is a one-day event (this year [2022] on November 25th) It includes vendors, cultural events and live performances by local musicians & artists. The top three winners for the best tacos of the festival are chosen by a panel of judges. But the main feature of the Taco Festival is the Tacos – tacos al pastor, pibil tacos, grilled tacos, fried tacos, baked pork tacos, chicken tacos, beef tacos, and tacos Arachera style! This is another festival with little marketing online.
For additional information about Belize, check out these Blogs:
What NOT to Pack for an Amazing Belize Vacation
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