Entertainment - Greater Belize Media

Life-Saving Swim Lesson Provided to Belize City Children Free of Cost

The Belize Police Department and the Belize Coast Guards have once again teamed up to provide free swimming lessons to the children of Belize City. The annual program is facilitated by the Community Policing Unit to reach children who would not have access to swimming lessons otherwise. The program aims to teach life-saving abilities to children, as well as forge stronger bonds between youths and law enforcement. News Five’s Britney Gordon stopped by the classes being held at the Princess Ramada earlier today for more details. Here’s that story.

Britney Gordon, Reporting

Every year, approximately two hundred, thirty-six thousand people die from drowning around the world. According to the World Health Organization, it is the third leading cause of unintentional injury deaths worldwide, accounting for seven percent of them. And children are some of the most vulnerable of the population to this threat. To curb these numbers, the Belize Police Department and the Belize Coast Guard have teamed up to host the annual community swimming program. During this two-week course, children will be educated on safe water practices and swimming techniques. ACP Howell Gillett, National Commander of the Community Policing Unit, tells us the aim of the program

A.C.P. Howell Gillett, Nat’l Commander, Community Policing Unit

“What we’re trying to achieve is to first of all get young people closer to law enforcement. I believe after this they could say police officer by name or a coast guard officer by name. Apart from the What we want to do is to reduce the number of instances of drowning incidents where we have to respond to so that the police could be using in other areas in the country. So they’re learning at society that is proficient in swimming, there’ll be less reports, there’ll be less risk taken by kids. Our If we do have to report, I believe it will be if the community is proficient, then they can assist the law enforcement. It is an opportune time because it’s summer break on kids. It’s almost impossible to keep kids away from waterways, so we want them to go in a safe way on knowing how to swim.”

The program has been in operation since 2016. Children are selected by the Community Policing Unit and taught by the Belize Coast Guard. Gladis Itch, an instructor, says that safety comes first when it comes to teaching children and that her role is not only to get children comfortable with water, but also impart skills that will help them to survive.

Gladis Itch, Swimming Instructor

“What I get is the joy of graduation day when kids, there are some that come that are literally scared of entering the water. They’re actually swimming across the pool. And that gives us great joy to see that big accomplishment.”

Since the initial launch of the program, nearly five hundred children have been taught to swim. Participants range from ages five to fifteen years old. Fourteen-year-old Keyvaun Augustin says he did not have any prior swimming knowledge before joining the program but has since seen great improvement in his skills.

Britney Gordon

“What have you learned so far?”

Keyvaun Augustin, Participant

“I’ve learned doggy paddle, and also how to hold my breath really, really good. And I think I’ve improved on that.”

Britney Gordon

“Have you made any sort of bonds with the other students here that are part of it and with the instructors?”

Keyvaun Augustin

“Yes, ma’am. I have made a strong, like a very strong bond with my classmates in our program.”

Britney Gordon

“And what are you hoping you will learn by the end of next week?”

Keyvaun Augustin

“By the end of next week, I hope I’ll learn to save or at least help others drowning.”

Gillett says that the participants were selected from various communities within Belize City by the community policing officers and he plans to expand the program to other districts in the future.

A.C.P. Howell Gillett

“Despite your socio economic condition, that should not stop you from learning a very important life skill. These kids may never be involved because it’s too costly to have your children in a swimming program, but we bring it to them at no cost at all. And we’re grateful for all who sponsor this program.”

Britney Gordon for News Five.

Touching Lives of Children Through the Belize Camping Experience

Summer is here and the Belize Camping Experience has once again begun its series of summer activities for children and youths across the country. For years, the organization has been hosting summer camps, where children learn life skills and form bonds with their communities. This year, B.C.E. is hosting over thirteen camps across Belize. Today, News Five’s Britney Gordon stopped by one of these camps in the Jane Usher Boulevard area to hear how the activities are going so far. Here’s more on that.

Britney Gordon, Reporting

Love, goodness, kindness, and self-control; these are a few of the spiritual virtues outlined in the Bible for people to strive towards. These are also a few of the practices the Belize Camping Experience is hoping to impart on children and youths during its annual summer activities. Alexander Perez, Director of BCE, tells us about this endeavor.

Alexander Perez, Director, Belize Camping Experience

“One of the team. of this year is to teach the kids that the words are important, that their words are important, because if they disrespect mommy at home, can you imagine they will respect the police officer and the principal? So teaching them that their words is important and that they are important as well. Another thing that we’re teaching this summer is about habits. What are good habits and how do you build up good habits and what is the habits about saving money because sometimes, you know, when difficult time comes, teaching them about saving, teaching them about good habits and the other, other lessons is about love. What is love? Is love just a feeling? No, love is actually showing kind to one another to help one another.”

Thirteen camps are being hosted across the country with about fifty-five youth volunteers from areas such as Spanish Lookout, Orange Walk, Corozal. These youths are trained by BCE before entering communities. Zurisadday Diaz, a youth volunteer, tells us about the feelings of fulfillment she gains from being part of these camps.

Zurisadday Diaz, Youth Leader

“I’m not gonna say it’s not tiring but I love doing it. It’s something that fills your energy back when you’re with the kids. It just gives you back the energy you need, and God just is always so faithful with us and we just, want to continue doing it.”

Britney Gordon

“Have there been any special moments that you’ve had so far doing these camps, is anything memorable to you?”

Zurisadday Diaz

“Well it would be the worship night where we have this worship night with the volunteers that are coming and how to see just how they give their lives to God and how they renew everything they have been having in their past and wanted to follow God’s way just that something that has really inspired me a lot seeing how they pray to God and ask for forgiveness, that’s something that I really really will remember a lot.”

At just fourteen years old, Hakeem Herrera is the youngest volunteer on the team. He says that this has been a learning experience for him just as much as it is for the children.

Hakeem Herrera, Youth Leader

“These kids obviously go through stuff, and it’s just good to show them love, it also helps me a lot personally because it just helps me grow closer to God seeing these kids receive love.”

Perez says the camp is an all-around experience with fun, food, and friendship but it’s the lessons learned through the bonding experiences that BCE hopes will remain with participants and youth volunteers into their adulthood.

Alexander Perez

“They have water games and arts and crafts and football and really targeting that our young people need to literally have a relationship and build a relationship with their kids and to have fun, right? But at the same time, to learn and apply what they have been learning through the camp.”

Britney Gordon for News Five.

25 Years of Spreading the Love of Music

Schools are out and children all over Belize are finding unique ways to pass their time. Among the variety of summer camps and programs available for students to participate in, Carlos Perrotte’s Music Camp has been a constant source of music education and fun for students for over two decades. In this week’s episode of Belize on Reel, we sat down with the man that has inspired a love for music in children and adults for over twenty-five years.

Britney Gordon, Reporting

For those with a passion for music and the essence of Belizean culture that is expressed through song and sounds, the name Carlos Perrotte is a very familiar one. For the past two decades, the Cuban transplant has spread his love for music through musical projects such as Omolewa Osain. The name of the album which translates to Powerful Mind, is a unique blend of Jazz, Garifuna music and the West African roots of Cuba. He has also played a hand in the beloved Pan Yaad Festival for several years. However, it is through teaching that Perrotte has always been able to connect with youths and spark a fire for music that would transcend to adulthood.

Carlos Perrotte, Music Instructor

“I believe this is the most important thing, to teach children in an early age, like yourself, you can remember your time at Grace Primary. Give me the opportunity to meet them, and feel the love that they give you. Those children they have more love than the rest. It is easy for you to reach them, and then the early age is the most important part of life, for them to get knowledge. I believe you should treat them well from a younger age, then they will grow with a different attitude and with a different approach of life and that’s what I try to do in terms of music.”

Perrotte has been teaching music in Belize for over twenty-five years, but his love for melody began at a much earlier age. It is his belief that children should be given the opportunity to develop a love for music while it can still be nurtured.

Carlos Perrotte

“I started when I was six years old. Although my mom and my dad were engineers and doctors, I have a uncle who told me don’t worry about that, just play music But, we have a system that allows you to do that. In my country, with all the problems we have, we have a system that makes music education from the beginning, to the end. So I started when I was seven years old and then got my master’s degree in music with no stop. So from the beginning age I fell in love with music, and that’s what I’m doing.”

Perrotte’s students describe his classes as fun and energetic. Six-year-old Elijah Lorenzo tells us that he’s been coming to Perrotte’s class since he was four years old and plans to keep coming back.

Britney Gordon

“Are you having fun doing these classes? What do you feel when you play the instruments?”

Elijah Lorenzo, Student

“I feel great, I feel nice.”

Britney Gordon

“Do you really like music?”

Elijah Lorenzo

“Yea I do really.”

Britney Gordon

What do you like about music?”

Elijah Lorenzo

I like that it likes to make me dance and sing and do stuff.”

Perrotte’s love for music is also alive inside his home. His daughter, Ala Perrotte, says music has been a part of her life for as far back as she can remember.

Alma Perrotte, Perrotte’s Daughter

“I would say from I came out the womb I’ve been learning music because of my dad. And, but playing instruments I’ve, it’s been like, around, I would say fifteen to sixteen years since I’ve been playing music.”

Britney Gordon

“What would you say is something admirable about the way your father goes about teaching music?”

Alma Perrotte

“I think it’s because of how much love he has for music and he, and how much he wants to give the love that he has. And he wants to teach it to other students, especially young kids, because the young kids are the future of our country. So him spreading his love about music to other students so that they could be also in love with music is what I think lets him go on like that. And that’s why everyone likes the way, the way how he teach.”

Perrotte’s Camp focuses primarily on percussion instruments such as drums and xylophones. Lourdes Mora, a student at this year’s camp, says that her favorite instrument is the steel pan and she enjoys hearing herself improve after every lesson.

Lourdes Mora, Student

“I get to learn new stuff and I could remember it in my head, so the next day when I come I could remember it and do better from last year.”

Britney Gordon

“What’s your favourite part about making music?”

Lourdes Mora

“It’s cause I feel special. And what do you like most about Mister Carlos and his class?”

Lourdes Mora

“Because he is fun, about him, he lets us play music and once we ask a question. Like if I ask if I want play the drums, mister Carlos would let me play the drums.”

Perrotte plans to retire next year, but he does not believe that it will be the end of his time as an instructor. He says that once there is a passion for something, it does not simply go away.

Carlos Perrotte

“I say I will retire, but I didn’t say I would stop teaching. Teaching is something that when you passion, it’s hard to give up so easily. But I encourage others to bring up their talent and help others to build up their skill. It doesn’t have to be only me, so what I say, we have more camps now, but I don’t believe they have a camp like this. We focus in percussion instruments. The rest of the camps is a little bit of something. So I hope somebody else, comes on, we have more talent and they can do it too, I hope.”

Britney Gordon for News Five.

Children are Building Lasting Bonds This Summer

An annual summer camp organized by Doctor Carolyn Gentle-Genitty, a tenured professor in the United States, concludes on Friday. The past few days have seen children from across Lake Independence attend educational and recreational sessions at Swift Hall and Saint Martin de Porres School where they are learning very important life skills, including financial literacy. As part of this year’s program, the Belize Bank Limited joined forces with the program and spent the day with the young participants teaching them about financial responsibility. News Five’s Isani Cayetano stopped by and filed the following report.

Isani Cayetano, Reporting

Summer camps are melting pots of diversity. Children interact with peers from various backgrounds, cultures and communities. The exposure they receive helps them to develop essential social skills like communication, empathy and teamwork. They also learn the value of friendship, sharing and resolving conflicts amicably. Here at Summer Bond, a camp that has been established in the St. Martin’s area, kids are building positive relationships.

Dr. Carolyn Gentle-Genitty, Organizer, Summer Bond

“We know that through social bonding, attachment, commitment, involvement and belief helps students to succeed. [It] helps all of us to succeed, no matter age, money, exposure. Once you take away all of those, the number one factor is bonding… and those four things, somebody being attached to social activities, engage in pro social activities, believing in the value of what they are working towards, and committed, being a member of something.”

Summer camps are transformative experiences that equip children with essential life skills, values, and lasting memories. Among them is financial literacy, the ability to understand and effectively use various skills, including personal financial management, budgeting and investing.

Denise Godfrey, Marketing Manager, Belize Bank Ltd.

“In our arts and craft session, we are teaching them about financial inclusion, the importance of money and then they get to draw what money means to them or what they would do should they come across or when they start working what they are going to do with their earnings, whether it’s building a house, furthering their education, they get to draw that out on paper.”

The annual recreation offers a wide range of activities. Children can explore new hobbies, discover hidden talents, and honing existing skills. These experiences teach perseverance and dedication. Nine- year-old Elon Gordon attends Ladyville Evangelical School, he is a participant at this year’s camp.

Elon Gordon, Participant

“I thought it was gonna be fun and I am gonna make lots of new friends and lots of new people and I was kind of waiting for school to open back.”

Isani Cayetano

“What have you learned so far?”

Elon Gordon

“Lots of things, some more about sports, service, gratitude and education.”

Isani Cayetano

“What do you want to be when you grow up?”

Elon Gordon

“I want to own my own business.”

With rising childhood obesity, physical activity is crucial. Summer camps provide ample opportunities for active play, sports, and adventure activities. This not only improves physical health, but also promotes mental well-being.

Michelle Murray-Gordon, Teacher, St. Martin de Porres

“I love this camp particularly because it caters to four aspects of the children’s development. They focus on art, education, service and gratitude and sports. My area where I assist is with service and gratitude, so the kids rotate for an hour in each session for the day, every day. And then we help to develop their skills and knowledge within the area. We try to do hands-on stuff, like yesterday they wrote to thank you notes to persons who are important to them, as well as help clean the perimeters of the compound and read to their peers. So they are very eager and receptive to the skills and that has pleased us greatly.”

So consider giving your child the gift of growth, discovery, and joy that only a summer camp can provide. Isani Cayetano for News Five.

Team Belize Ready for Central American Volleyball Championship

In just a few days, Belize will be facing off against opponents from across Central America during the U21 Women’s Volleyball Championship. The tournament will open on July sixteenth at the Belize City Civic Center where Belize will face off against Nicaragua. News Five’s Britney Gordon stopped by the Civic Center this morning to catch the team as it prepares for the upcoming game. Here’s more on that.

Britney Gordon, Reporting

Team Belize is ready to win big at the U21 Women’s Volleyball Championship that kicks off next Tuesday. This year, Belize is hosting the tournament which will see teams from across the region compete for the coveted title. Belize’s first match will be against Nicaragua. We caught up with team captain, Gareth Bruce to hear how the team is feeling now that the day is almost here.

Gareth Bruce, Captain

“So like a week ago we did a U23 in Honduras and we we’re training morning and evening for that. And after we came back, and we did the same in preparation for this tournament.”

Britney Gordon

“And how are you guys feeling as the game approaches?”

Gareth Bruce

“We’re nervous and excited because we’re playing against our home crowd. I feel like all of us are well prepared, we’re well developed and experienced since our past tournaments.”

At just fourteen-years-old, Sara Safa is the youngest on the team. Being surrounded by players more experienced than her motivates her game.

Britney Gordon

“So you’re one of the youngest players on this team. How does it feel to be representing your country on such an international level so young?”

Sarah Safa, Setter

“It feels pretty good. I love working with the older girls because they have a lot more experience than I do so they can always help me out and give me tips. So it’s a really blessing and it feels really good.”

Despite her young age, Safa is confident that she and her team will do well in the approaching games.

Sara Safa

“I am feeling well prepared to go out and cheer on my team and do what I have to do and I know my team is really prepared as well.”

Britney Gordon

“What’s an important piece of advice that you’re taking into mind as the games approaches to help you stay motivated and encouraged?”

Sara Safa

“Well, I just like to keep in mind that since I’m one of the youngest, that means I’ve worked really hard to get to this point. So I just have to keep that in mind that this is a, this is like an opportunity, like a once in a lifetime opportunity for a person this young.”

With just five days left until Belize’s first match, Jevia Leslie is eager to get on the court and play against her opponents.

Jevia Leslie, Middle Blocker

“I’m pretty excited. I’ve been waiting for this tournament since like probably March or earlier because We’ve been notified that they’ll be having another home game. So I’ve been really pretty excited same as my team. I’m feeling pretty confident. I’m ready to, I don’t want to say get this over with, but I’m actually pretty excited and I want to play the game. I’m anxious to do it because, I’ve been waiting for some time. All right, that’s good.”

Britney Gordon for News Five.

Belize Vs Bermuda Friendly Match Inside F.F.B. Stadium on Thursday Night

Belize’s Senior Women’s National Football Team is set to face off against Bermuda on Thursday night inside the F.F.B. Stadium. The friendly match kicks off at seven p.m. The team has been in camp for the past three weeks preparing for the match. They are inviting fans out to the game to watch them perform and possibly win. Today, we spoke with the coach and a couple of players.

Wayne Casimiro, Head Coach, National Senior Women’s Football Team

“We have been doing the best we can given the time frame we have to work with and getting our style of play in proper order. I think the team looks fairly ok. WE are basically there and prepared to play a good match between Bermuda given we have not been together for a while. Bu for the time we spent in camp, two weeks prior and now in this position, I think we are really getting back to where we were from the last time.”

Shamika Lambey, National Team Athlete

“Us being in camp, it helps us build our momentum and chemistry, because most of us are from different clubs so we don’t have that much chemistry with each other. We have been playing with each other in the last national team on the road to Gold Cup. So us being in camp helps us to develop more and gets us to see where we fall short, whether it is attacking or defending. So the more we come together in camp the more we develop.”

Roshanny Narvaez, National Team Athlete

“We have been practicing three weeks so our mentality is very positive. In my case it is very positive. I know we can do great out there and with the fans showing up that can motivate us even better to showcase our talent and just play our game and have fun.”

Connecting Belizean Women to Their African Heritage

The 2024 Miss African Queen Pageant is just a few days away and this year six contestants are making their final preparations for the big day. The annual event is meant to bring Belizean women closer to their African roots by allowing them to embrace the physical traits linking them to the continent and highlights aspects of various cultures through clothing and dance. In this week’s episode of Kolcha Tuesday, we explore the cultural ties between Belizeans and their African heritage.

Britney Gordon, Reporting

For many Belizeans, the word Creole can refer to several aspects of one’s identity. It may be the language, or a signifier of one’s skin color among the mixture of races and ethnicities found in the country. No matter how it is used, the origin of the word refers to those who were born in a country that is not their parents’ homeland. This is the legacy of the slaves that were brought to the Caribbean from West Africa. And this is the heritage that the Miss African Queen Pageant seeks to highlight every year. Maryam Abdul-Qawiyy, spokesperson for the Miss African Queen Contest, tells us more.

Maryam Abdul-Qawiyy, Spokesperson, Miss African Queen Contest

“Being here in Belize, we are a melting pot of cultures of Creole, Garifuna, Maya, Mestizo, and we also have our Mennonites as well and our diplomats and people who come to live here from all over the world. We love all our cultures, but the main four Belizean cultures that are here are black and brown people and this pageant came about for especially the Creole to celebrate their heritage and the creole people are a part of the African diaspora. These were people who were enslaved so it’s about recognizing self where you’re from that’s why it’s called miss African queen because all black peoples are coming from the continent of Africa.”

According to Abdul-Qawiyy, the contest was created to fill a gap in pageantry and celebrate women who break away from Euro-centric beauty standards. Leah James, a contestant representing The Gambia, says that she entered this year’s competition so that her young daughters appreciate African beauty and be reminded of their heritage. We ask what it means for her as a black Belizean woman to represent this part of history.

Leah James, Contestant

“I’m going to be very honest with that. If you had asked me that six, seven years ago, I would not be able to give an answer that would really resonate with my heart. But after having my first child. Her having her curl here all those coils all of that that is what made me realize that you know what? Despite my skin color I might be lighter than others but it’s still in me and I need to be proud of it not only for myself but for her because she needs to feel proud of herself she needs to feel like that pride because they’re girls they’re gonna look up to somebody they need someone to look up to so I’m ensuring that My pride shows true that they can see that okay you have someone to look up to.”

To connect with her costume, James decided to create elements of it by hand, such as her headpiece and parts of her dress. We caught up with fellow contestant, Hypolita Usher, who will be representing Uganda, as she was gathering the finishing elements for her attire. Uganda is a landlocked country located in East Africa, famous for its biodiversity and being the source of the Nile River. Uganda is also known for its relatively high birth rate, displaying on average four point five eight children per woman. Usher explains that the reason she chose to embody Uganda is because she could see herself represented among the features of the women of that nation.

Hypolita Usher, Contestant

“It was really hard choosing Uganda for the simple fact that all the countries I’ve read up on, they have so much to offer. However, what stuck with me with them was that, if Africa on a whole, they love full figured women, but Uganda specifically, there’s a tribe living in the woods who prefer it, who groom their children to be thicker women, and they are listed as the tallest people in the world. So I said, look at that, I’m full figured, I’m tall. So that’s what made me really go with Uganda.”

The goal of the pageant is to bridge the gap between the African continent and Belize. Abdul-Qawiyy, a former Miss African Queen herself, acknowledges the similarities between Egyptian and Belizean dance. By participating, every contestant leaves with a stronger connection to their chosen country.

Maryam Abdul-Qawiyy

“One of our contestants this year, she’s representing Sierra Leone and she found that in Sierra Leone, there’s a similar name that we have here in Belize for one of our towns, the exact name. And not only that, but they also speak Creole. I don’t want to give away too much, but she will be explaining more in her different statements and her intro and all the delegates have found similarities between Belize and these African nations. And that’s what it’s all about, is to find these similarities, to recognize that our culture and our heritage is worldwide, and that it’s important for reeducation of self.”

The African ancestry that ties Belize to the rest of the Caribbean may not be at the forefront of the mind of Belizeans, but it is something that flows within their veins. It can be seen in the fishing and agricultural communities, finding resourceful ways to survive. It can be heard in the language and music that connects people of various ages, and it is felt in the community that comes together to celebrate what it means to call themselves Belizeans. Britney Gordon for News Five.

A Preview of KTV the Remix Episode 2

Tonight at the Bliss, two contestants in this season of K.T.V. The Remix are going home, another guest judge will also be joining Andazzi and Tremett to critique this week’s performances. It all goes down live at eight p.m. and for a look at what you, our faithful viewers, can expect, we turn to production assistant Monilee Aspinall for a preview of tonight’s show.

https://greaterbelize.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/07-09-2024-KTV-Week-2-SOT-Trim.mp4?_=1

B.E.B.L. Appeals Committee Decides on Controversial Finals Game 3

The Belize Elite Basketball League’s 2024 finals between the Benny’s Belize Hurricanes and the Belize City Defenders remain in Limbo. Tonight, when a possible game five would have been played, there is no confirmed date for the series to resume. After the Hurricanes protested the results of the Defender’s game three win, the matter ended up in the hands of the league’s protest committee. The committee ruled in favor of the Hurricanes. The Defenders then decided to take the matter up to the league’s appeals committee. But the question on the mind of every B.E.B.L. fan is, when will the finals resume? Well, we spoke with B.E.B.L. Commissioner Glenn Gill who informed us that the appeals committee has decided that the controversial game three will be replayed.

Glenn Gill, B.E.B.L. Commissioner

“Actually yesterday there was a decision made from the Appeals Committee that the game would be played over. But unfortunately, the Volleyball Association will use the court for two weeks. So we wont have the use of the court until the twenty-sixth of July. So that is when we will play over game three.”

Paul Lopez

“So, the decision of the appeals committee is to have the game played over?”

Glenn Gill

“Yes, because they looked at all the literature, the game, the game clips, they decided it would be unfair to play the game from where there was a disruption. And, it would not be fair for both teams. So, they decided it is best to just play over the game.There are two committees in the league, a protest/disciplinary committee and a tribunal. In my opinion both have people who have legal mind and both have people who know basketball. Last year we had some up and downs with a decision. But this year before the tournament started decided that whatever the tribunal says is the last word is the last word. So whatever they decide we will go with it.”

Placencia Lobster Fest, The First One Up For 2024

Lobster season opens on July first, which means that tourist destinations are gearing up for lobster festivities. Placencia will be hosting the first of three lobster fests scheduled for this year. The small, slow paced, coastal community has been putting on its lobster fest for almost three decades. This year’s event promises to be the biggest and most entertaining yet. News Five’s Paul Lopez travelled down to the peninsula on Thursday. He filed the following report.

Paul Lopez, Reporting

Placencia Lobster Fest is a once-a-year event that draws thousands of visitors to the village without fail.

Doyle Gardner, Owner, Doyle’s Smoke Yard

“Party and great energy, foodie a foodie paradise, people love it.”

The start of the lobster season is such a big deal for residents that it is worthy of having its own song.

Doyle Gardner

“Ih name spinny spinny…..it is the best.”

Placencia Loster Fest was launched in 1998 by the then village council and members of the Belize Tourism Industry Association Placencia Chapter. Elysia Dial, now the general manager at Barefoot Bar, joined the organizing team in 2001. The festival was established to help businesses in the tourist destination earn much needed income during the low tourist season.

Elysia Dial, General Manager, Barefoot Bar

“At first it was more like a rice and beans fest to be honest. We actually had to put out a rule for vendors to have some lobster dish on their menu because it is lobster fest. Originally, you know the parking lot, that is where lobster fest started out. It was just towards that cement pavement which was shell gas station. And that is where lobster fest was. One year we had a big wind storm come through right after Bowen and Bowen set up the tents and they crashed up into the house and there was no electricity. It was a lot of thing but we still got lobster fest going.”

Marcelo Sierra, the founder and former owner of Omar’s Little Kitchen, was among the first to participate in Placencia’s lobster fest. He has since handed over the restaurant to his children, but their presence at the weekend festivities continues.

Marcelo Sierra, Former Business Owner

“It was not as big and bombastic like now. Now dah some wild event the take place and different era, different people the different kind of businesses and so it grow a lot. So kudos to who the out deh the bun up deh eyes, I get enough of that.”

Reporter

“And I understand your restaurant had some sort of unique lobster dish in the days.”

Marcelo Sierra

“Yeah we started with a kind of a cultural way of doing our lobster. We started with fire heart. We never use no gas range. All we had to do dah get some mango, craboo and grapes and people want to see it done culturally. A lot of business stray from that which is not good. Omar’s still have a fire heart outside, my daughter still dash thing pan that. I try mek deh keep it culturally. If you the do it culinary wise and culturally people wah love that because deh wah the pass and get that smell.”

In 2023, Doyle Gardner won the prize for best lobster dish at the event. He is returning to defend his title and he hopes that the number of chefs participating in the competition this year will increase from the handful that participated in the 2023.

Doyle Gardner

“I did a big lobster. I did it open cooked, charred first and then roasted garlic butter. My plating I think was what really won it. I used a big calabash. I still have that calabash upstairs. I should have brought that, but on the bottom of the young coconut leaf, half the coconut and the rice on top of that. I didn’t have any horns so I took some branches from the miniature bamboo shoots and stuck them in their and that was a part of the design pretty much. I already made my menu and everything. I just came off of vacation. I was in Barbados and San Pedro I am working on that title to keep that title. I already have my idea but I am not going to give it away right now.”

Fisherfolks are the backbone of Placencia Lobster Fest. They make it possible for hungry visitors to have that sea-to grill-to table experience. Kurt Godfrey Senior is a second generation fisherman. Long before Placencia Lobster Fest was established, Godfrey would go free diving for lobsters with his father off the coast of the peninsula. His children are doing lobster catching these days.

Kurt Godfrey Sr., Fisherman

“First we were free divers as my late father was the founder of free diving. It became a sport. Time change and we learn that you put shade which is a hidden under and then fast-forward the government sent us to Mexico and w learnt about casitas. Casitas is one I want to invent in Belize because it is a healthy way of catching lobster.”

Paul Lopez

“So for you being environmentally conscious is important.”

Kurt Godfrey Sr.

“That dah how I become a pro, because I environmental happy ever since I learn scuba and free dive. I throw back my young lobster, my females I throw them back, especially when they have eggs and people could tell you, my workers can tell you that I did that.”

Paul Lopez

“For lobster fest on average how much lobster can a fisherman sell for lobster fest celebration.”

Kurt Godfrey

“Talking for myself, from the casitas I could probably sell about two hundred pounds of whole live lobster.”

The festival begins on July fifth and ends on July seventh. A variety of entertainment and competitions have been organized for each of the three days. Warren Garbutt, the chairman of the village, says there will be no shortage of fun and food.

Warren Garbutt, Chairman, Placencia Village

“The event start very early on Friday around midday and then it goes to about two o’clock, two a.m. and then it starts again Sunday morning at ten and then it goes to about two a.m. and then Sunday again from ten until midnight. There is plenty of entertainment at the lobster fest grounds. It has grown tremendously over the years. We have a total of ninety booths this year. Of course mixed with food vendors, arts and craft, NGOs present sharing some the sustainable efforts. So it is a mix of different organizations and vendors.”

Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.