PLACENCIA, Stann Creek District, Sat. Feb. 11, 2023
Today marked the return of the Placencia Sidewalk Art Festival, after a 3-year Covid pandemic hiatus, and there were artist and merchandise vendor booths lining both sides of the village’s iconic cement walkway for almost three quarters of a mile.
This edition was billed as the 18th annual Sidewalk Art Festival and was organized by the village council with facilitation from the Ministry of Tourism, the Belize Tourism Board and the Belize Tourism Industry Association.
There were more than 75 displays featuring Belizean-made paintings, jewellery, wood carvings, straw hats, T-shirts, dive shirts, soaps, candles, cosmetics, and sauces, alongside real estate offerings, local food, and a publisher, as well as booths where contributions to two charitable causes and support for environmental conservation NGOs were solicited. Those exhibits were viewed by a steady stream of visitors, mostly expat residents from along the 19-mile long peninsula and visiting American and Canadian tourists over the course of the 2-day weekend event.
The village council bar at “The Point” and the pier featured a variety of live musical entertainment. Some visitors had come to expect more local cultural entertainment than was provided at this year’s event, however.
The signature event provides an economic boost to the village’s economy and continues to expand with each edition.
Inflation has had a noticeable impact, with prospective buyers complaining that product prices are considerably higher than in years past. Vendors complained that first day sales were much lower than expected.
Sunday saw better sales, as more vendors discounted prices and prospective buyers lowered expectations.