Zapote Fair A Go;
Carnaval Cancelled
Zapote Fair got the go
ahead yesterday after
receiving the necessary
permits by the ecretaría
Técnica Ambiental (Setena),
allowing the
construction of the 'redondel"
- bull ring - to be
finished in time for the
opening day of the fair,
December 25.
The contractor said tha
the redondel will be
finished much earlier,
possibly 10 days
earlier, after work had
completed stopped
waiting on the Setena
approval.
For a while the Zapote
Fair was in jeopardy,
worried that redondel
would not be finished
and the lack of interest
by games and rides
operators.
The Zapote Fair, an
annual tradition that
begins on Christmas day,
was cancelled last year
when the Ministerio de
Salud (Health Ministry)
found a number of health
and safety concerns that
could not be rectified
in time.
In exchange for the
Setena approval, the
Municipalidad de San
José agreed to invest
¢10 million colones a
year for the next four
year in environmental
projects on the lands
surrounding the redondel
and the fair grounds.
The commitment includes
planting 400 trees
during 2008.
The Christmas tradition
in San José, that
included the Zapote
Fair, the Carnaval and
the Tope, is in a
process of social
change.
This year, like last,
there will be no
Carnaval on the streets
of downtown San José,
the municipality
preferring to offer
cultural activities
around different parks
of the downtown core
instead of the
traditional parade along
Paseo Colón and Avenida
Segunda.
Though there will no
Caranval again this
year, the Tope, the
annual horse parade held
on December 26 in
downtown San José as
usual.
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