Will There Be a Zapote Fair This Year?
"Veremos" (we will see) is the answer for the time being, as the Concejo Municipal de San José studies the option of cancelling the annual tradition all together.

In the first round of voting, the proposal to cancel the festival did not get the required nine votes, meanwhile, the Comisión de Festejos (festival commission) says it has moved ahead with permits and is looking at holding the fair as usual and without problems.

The final vote is to come next Monday (November 6).

The annual fair draws some 50.000 people from all over the country into small area across the Registro Nacional in the east side of San José. Some residents of the area say that, especially at night, there are too many people for a small area and that police are not able to control the crowds, especially the drinking and partying that is custom.

Other residents say that the tradition should continue, however, they should be compensated - that is, get a part of the profits that the event generates for the municipality and the concessions each year.

The bulls are a staple of the zapote fair, as a temporary bull ring is built each after tearing down the permanent structure, which was unsafe for the huge crowds, a couple of years ago.

The annual event kicks off on Christmas day and ends in the first few days of January. Similar fairs are also held in towns across the country, the more notable ones, the fair at Palmares and the Puntarenas Carnaval.