Benque fiesta

Benque Fiesta is a celebration held each July in Benque Viejo del Carmen, Belize. A fair is held to honor their patron saint Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Nuestra Señora de Monte Carmelo). It begins with 'Las Alboradas' and is followed by the traditional Flor de la Feria Pageant. The fair lasts approximately four days. Sometimes, on the following Monday, there is the "dollar fair" where people pay less for many of the rides and games. It takes place in the afternoon and many of the vendors come out one last time before the fair leaves until next year. The festival attracts international visitors and people crowd the various blocked streets.

Las Alboradas

The commemoration lasts for a period of about 16 days starting with some solemn religious celebrations - Las Aboradas, The loud bells signal the daily early morning service leading up to the 16th of July, the day of the patron saint. Each day a member from different families host a mass ceremony for the patron saint. After the 4am mass, the congregation is invited to the host’s home. They are treated to a snack consisting of traditional Bollos "small tamales", cake, coffee and/or hot chocolate. As the ceremonies come to an end, beautiful lights illuminate the sky with a dazzling firework display and the marimba band playing in the background.

Flor de la Feria Pageant

Following the Alboradas is the selection of the Municipal Queen ‘Senorita Flor de la Feria'. Flor de la Feria Pageant is one of the most historic and traditional pageants in the town of Benque Viejo. The pageant has been a part of the annual Benque Fiesta since 1967. Each year dozens of young ladies between the ages of 15 - 21 enter an application to compete for the crown. A pageant committee then selects and announces the names of the girls who will officially compete in the pageant along with the pageant's theme. The 2015 theme was "The Gateway to the Wonders of Beauty!".

Each candidate will choose a topic to represent according with the years theme. The candidates are officially presented to the town during the first presentation. The second presentation, The Talent Show Gala, gives the girls a chance to showcase their talents and gain new fans. The final presentation begins with the introduction of the candidates and consists of 4 segments –National Costume Segment, Swimwear Competition, Evening Gown, and Questions and Answer. However, only the top 4 finalists processed to the Question & Answer segment. One of the top finalists is the candidate who won the "Save the Queen" competition which allows the townspeople to vote for their favorite candidate. Following the Q&A segment is the award ceremony. The awards for Ms. Photogenic, Ms. Amistad ('Ms. Friendship'), Ms. Talent, Ms. Popular, and Best National Costume are handed out by the previous winners. After all the awards are handed out, the winner of the pageant is announced. The winner, however, is not be crowned until July 16, the opening of the fair.

References

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