Festival de la Luz
Illuminates San
José
Nor the rain or the cold
kept people away from
what can be called most
illuminating event of
the year in San José.
At 6pm the fireworks
began. In a simultaneous
act, the Sabana park on
the west side and the
downtown core, filled
the San José sky with
bright lights and
sounds, as almost a
million looked on.
The drums of the
marching bands and the
acrobats of the
cheerleader groups began
moving, intermixed with
the colourful floats.
The crowds had already
taken the good spots by
5pm, as a light drizzle
and strong winds
replaced the sun. The
rain didn't last long,
just in time for the
fireworks.
According to many
spectators, the Festival
de la Luz score a
perfect 100.
This year's event was
better organized than
events of the past.
Traffic police began
closing off Paseo Colon
and Avenida Segunda
starting at 1pm, choking
off the General Canas at
the water monument in La
Uruca, forcing motorists
to use alternate routes
into San José. Avenida
10 and 1 were the
primary routes in and
out of the downtown
core. Buses and their
stops were rerouted.
This was the 13th year
for the festival and
many knew well to wear a
jacket or sweater, some
even went as far as
donning gloves and heavy
coats.
The parade began at the
Gimnasio Nacional on the
west side of San José
and ran the 3.2
kilometre route along
Paseo Colon and Avenida
Segunda to the Plaza de
la Democracia on the
east. Every square inch
along the route was jam
packed with people
standing to get a close
look at the spectacular
presentation.
The festival's grand
marshal, María José
Castillo, runner up in
the Latin American Idol
competition earlier this
year, gave the crowd
what they had come to
see - her sing.
The Municipalidad de San
José was voted with best
float, earning a score
of 9.93 by the judges,
followed by runners up
the Instituto
Costarricense de Turismo
(ICT) with an 8.97 and
Wal-Mart with an 8.90.
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