Hip hip hooray! It’s that time again: the beginning of another Caribbean Spiny Lobster Season! Here in Belize, we celebrate the opening with special dishes and fun food festivals across the country. The threat of Hurricane Beryl has caused a hiccup in festival plans and the charming coastal village of Placencia has postponed their Lobsterfest from the first weekend in July to the 19th, 20th, and 21st. The three-day extravaganza will combine delicious food, exciting events, and vibrant entertainment. Whether you’re a seafood lover or not, join the fun July 19th- 21st at Point Placencia for an unforgettable beach bash that celebrates more than just the ocean-dwelling crustacean. Here’s what to expect from Placencia Lobsterfest 2024.
Location
Photo by Belize My Travels
No shirt, no shoes, no problem. Placencia’s Lobsterfest combines the components of a casual beach day with the lively atmosphere of an outdoor concert for a food festival like no other. Held on the beach at the most southern tip of the 15-mile-long peninsula, the festival grounds set the stage for an unforgettable and unique weekend of food, fun, and fellowship under the sun and at the edge of the Caribbean Sea.
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- Placencia Lobsterfest 2019. Photos by Belize My Travels
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- The 2019 Placencia Lobster Fest. Photo by Belize My Travels
Wander amid the tents of artists and craft vendors and shuffle your bare feet to the rhythm of the steel drum band as the smokey aroma of a dozen barbeque grills fills the air. Stretch out on a towel or bob on a floatie in the warm, clear water with a drink in your hand and watch the Youth Sailing Club kids expertly maneuver their little boats through the throngs of swimmers and around the pier.
Entertainment
Photo by Belize My Travels
Enjoy live entertainment throughout the weekend with performances by Belize’s most beloved bands: Sweet Pain, Gilharry 7, and the Panerrifix Steel Drum Orchestra. Top DJs and enthusiastic MCs keep the crowd energized all day and night long. Expect wild and wacky competitions like a burger-eating contest, swimming race, lobster toss, and soda-chugging for lots of laughs and some great prizes.
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- Photos by Belize My Travels
As the sun sets on Saturday night, prepare to be dazzled by a spectacular fireworks display that lights up the night sky above the beach and is reflected on the water of the harbor. Whether you come for the family-friendly frivolity of the festival during the daytime or to wine your waistline into the wee hours of the morning at the late-night party, there’s fun to be found for everyone!
Community Spirit
More than just a seafood lover’s paradise, the Placencia Lobsterfest also raises funds for the Village Council and several other clubs and organizations in the community. Kick off the weekend on foot by participating in the Battle Cancer 5-mile Run/Walk; the perfect way to work up an appetite for all the lobster you’ll consume later.
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- Lobster on deck! Asha’s Culture Kitchen boasts at Placencia Lobster Fest 2022
Toast to a good cause at the volunteer-staffed bar and beer tent where the weekend’s proceeds go directly into the Placencia Village Council’s coffers. Test your luck on a duck… a rubber duck that is, by supporting the Rotary Club’s Rubber Duck Race for charity. It’s a quirky and much-loved tradition. If your duck doesn’t win the race, take a chance on the BTIA’s grand raffle with dozens of incredible prizes to be won. Tickets are just $2bz a chance and prizes run the gamut from flight vouchers and luxury resort stays to tours, jewelry, and dining certificates.
Similar: Chocolate, Mango, Lobster: The 2024 Belize Food Festivals to Jump Start Your Summer
Lobsterfest is a very special event that brings people from near and far together and a strong sense of community spirit permeates every activity throughout the weekend’s revelry.
Placencia Lobsterfest 2019. Photo by Kevin Quischan (Belize My Travels)
Join the seafood celebration and the pinnacle of the summer season at Placencia Lobsterfest. Come hungry and leave happy but remember, this festival is about more than just food! Get ready to have fun, meet friends, and make unforgettable memories with your toes in the sand during the best beach bash of the year. Visit www.placencialobsterfest.com for more information.
Featured: Lobster on deck! Asha’s Culture Kitchen boasts at Placencia Lobster Fest. Photo by the BTB
