Toledo, Belize - the birthplace of chocolate
Cacao - or cocoa as many of us know it - has played a dominant role from ancient times, when the Maya first discovered the 'magical' process that transformed cacao into chocolate, right through to the modern day. The Toledo District of southern Belize is today home to the organic cacao orchards where the pods are grown and harvested, and later transformed into chocolate. Join us next year for CacaoFest 2009, held from 22nd to 24th May over the Commonwealth Day Holiday Weekend.
Toledo CacaoFest 2008
Commonwealth Day holiday weekend in May saw the return of the Toledo Cacao Festival, held in Punta Gorda and the Toledo District of Southern Belize. Paul Mahung, the Festival MC, raised cheers from the crowd at the opening Wine & Chocolate evening that identified visitors from throughout the country, as well as overseas visitors from Canada, the USA, UK, Australia, and Japan.
The Caribbean Trio provided wonderful music, and guests feasted on the hors d'ouevres produced by a dedicated team of local volunteer chefs. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Darla Mallory - Chair of the Festival committee - thanked everyone for coming, and the many people who helped make the Festival a success, including Festival sponsors Tropic Air. Smart, Green & Black's, the Belize Tourism Board and, of course, the Toledo Cacao Growers' Association. Kamela Palma also outlined the Festival's Park Committee's work on re-developing Central Park to complement the newly painted murals on the town clocktower, the vision of Larry and Karol Smith from the Sea Front Inn who turned it into a reality.
Saturday saw a hive of activitiy in Central Park at the Taste of Toledo Fair, with the chocolate tent featuring local chocolate from Toledfo artisans, Cotton Tree Lodge's and Goss Chocolate's new products, a new cacao body scrub, and Mr Gomier's great chocolate soy ice cream. The Cacao Growers continued to offer new products, including cacao 'bean bags' with instructions on how to make the ancient Maya kuku drink, cacao wine, and shopping bags made from old cacao sacks - part of the Committee's quest to reduce plastic and help keep Toledo green.
The children were kept amused throughout the day by the Cacao for Kids' team, headed by Lisel Alamilla from Fauna & Flora International, who arranged children's games, competitions, traditional story-telling, and a movie theatre. The children traded cacao beans - the ancient Maya currency - for a variety of activities, including the ever-popular face-painting.
Culture in Harmony music on the Saturday evening celebrated Peini's Garifuna heritage, with Garifuna msuic at Reef Bar and Beya Suites, along with bq and special chocolate drinks and cocktails. The range of tours throughout the weekend - Sea Toledo marine trips, and the CacaoTrail tours of the cacao farms - introduced new visitors to the delights of the Toledo District.
One of the highlights of the weekend was the special performance of the Deer Dance, held at the Maya site of Lubaantun in association with the Institute of Archaeology and NICH, and performed throughout the day by the dancers from Santa Cruz and Santa Elena villages. One of the Festival's community projects was to carryout work on the visitors' centre, and the new security measures allowed for the return of artifacts from safe-keeping in Belmopan. Ms Diane Haylock, President of NICH, re-dedicated the visitors' centre, and Dr Jaime Awe, head of the Institute of Archaeology, also gave a talk on the revilalization of Maya traditions and the meaning of the Der Dance in Maya ritual.
The weekend was rounded off with a great performance by the 'Garifuna Collective' and Doc Martinez introduced new songs from his Paranda Ambassador Group. The crowed sang, danced, and partied in Punta Gorda's Central Park, even through the brief downpour which cleared up right on time for the closing firework display.
Darla Mallory said "We've had another great year, with such a variety of events and so many people and orgnisations collaborating to produce a Festival we can be proud of. We're re-grouping shortly to begin plans for CacaoFest 2009, and lok forward to an even fuller programme of events to firmly establish Toledo as the chocolate capital of Belize!"
Use our contact form if you have any questions about the Festival, email us at info@ToledoChocolate.com, or call the Festival Office on 722-2531.
CacaoFest 2008 is held in conjunction with Toledo Cacao Growers' Association, Tropic Air, Smart!, Green & Black's, BTIA and Toledo Tourism, the Institute of Archaeology and NICH, and the Belize Tourism Board.
Our grateful thanks to our festival sponsors, and the numerous partner businesses and organisations who have helped make Toledo CacaoFest possible!