Hopkins Belize is a coastal village that serves as an entryway to a variety of water and nature activities, while at the same time offering visitors the chance to experience Garifuna culture through music, drumming, and community spirit.
Since it’s mango season, Hopkins Village in Belize’s Stann Creek District is celebrating with the Mango Festival to highlight its vibrant cultural scene.
Mango Festival
Mango season in Belize is an unmissable treat! A beloved tropical fruit, mangos are easy to come by throughout the country and locals enjoy enjoying them on street corners, riverbanks or beaches – sometimes mixing their sweet treat with an exciting “sauce” made up of salt, black pepper, and habanero pepper! Hopkins Village residents take their mangoes seriously each year with an annual Mango Festival celebrating this delectable treat!
The two-day Garifuna Mango Festival celebrates all things mango from the Julie variety to the Sweetly Tart Number Eleven variety and more! Additionally, this festival serves to showcase the rich culture of the Garifuna people (descended from Africans and native Caribbeans who call Belize home), including performances, arts and crafts vendors, and vibrant Garifuna traditions that exist here in Hopkins.
Mango Fest offers more than just an opportunity to honor this versatile fruit; it also promises an exquisite culinary journey for participants. Offerings from this event feature mango slices sliced, diced, or straight from the tree; guests can also indulge in sweet mango-flavored ice cream while live performances round out an exciting and memorable experience.
Visitors to the Mango Festival can indulge in delicious food and live music while attending cultural workshops, taking part in raffles, learning about local arts and crafts, and sampling authentic Garifuna flavors and rhythms – an ideal event to attend during Belize’s hot and sunny summer months! Hopkins comes alive with energy during this festive event as it celebrates all things Garifuna.
Garifuna Settlement Day
Every November 19, Garifuna Settlement Day provides visitors and residents alike the chance to gain insight into this vibrant culture through music and cuisine from around the globe. The celebration commemorates their journey from West Africa to Central America before finally landing in Belize.
Visitors who travel to Hopkins for Garifuna Settlement Day will experience historical canoe landing reenactments as well as rhythmic drumming, melodious tunes, delectable dishes like Hudut (a fish stew made with bananas) and Cassava Bread – staples in Garifuna culture and traditions – as well as rhythmic drumming and singing that has been recognized by UNESCO as part of its Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.
As with other celebrations and holidays in Belize, Garifuna Settlement Day is marked by colorful street parades throughout major Garifuna hubs like Dangriga, Punta Gorda, Placencia, and Seine Bight on the Placencia Peninsula. Visitors to immerse themselves further can also enjoy live performances by Garifuna musicians at various locations throughout Belize.
Garifuna music is an extraordinary blend of African, Caribbean, and Indigenous influences that has earned international acclaim as an exceptional form of musical art. Drums play an integral part in Garifuna culture; more than mere instruments they serve as vessels with stories passed down through generations.
Drums echoing throughout a Garifuna community symbolize its spirit and drive forward its movement. A large bass drum known as the Segundo represents its heartbeat while smaller drums called Primeros represent ancestral voices relaying stories through songs and stories from the past.
Hopkins Belize makes discovering its rich Garifuna culture easier than ever thanks to five American airlines and two Canadian air carriers offering direct nonstop flights into Belize City which it’s just 2.5 hours drive to Hopkins Village.
Garifuna Drumming Festival
Hopkins Belize stands out with its Garifuna culture. Following West African slaves’ journey from West Africa to America and subsequent intermarriage with Arawak and Carib Indians, an indigenous society known as Black Caribs or Garifuna emerged. Today, their culture thrives across Central American nations including Belize – boasting Caribbean roots mixed with African roots as well as languages, traditions, and rituals that have been passed down from generation to generation.
One tradition found throughout Hopkins is drumming, the cornerstone of Garifuna music known as punta and heavily influenced by traditional African drumming styles. Punta is known to deliver a highly contagious rhythmic musical style which often inspires lively forms of dance known as punta dancing – you are bound to encounter this form of entertainment just about everywhere in Hopkins! Don’t miss it for anything!
The Lebeha Drumming Center provides an ideal way to discover the roots of Garifuna music and dance. Established in 2003, this non-profit organization is committed to preserving Garifuna culture through drumming lessons taught daily for lessons or competitions, acoustic concerts, or family fun days. Situated on the north end of Hopkins Village it offers daily lessons as well as hosting various events throughout the year such as drumming competitions or family fun days.
Battle of the Drums, held every November, features troupes from all across Guatemala and Honduras competing in five genres of Garifuna drumming derived from traditional African instruments combined with indigenous Caribbean rhythms. This event draws thousands of visitors annually.
Hopkins offers something for everyone looking to explore Garifuna culture or simply indulge in delectable cuisine, from learning more about Garifuna traditions to enjoying delicious local fare. Hopkins was recently named Belize’s friendliest village thanks to its small-village charm and vibrant cultural offerings.
Garifuna Food Festival
Hopkins Belize is a laid back beach town that provides visitors with an idyllic vacation in the sun. There’s plenty to do here from snorkeling and diving the Great Barrier Reef to rainforest hiking and deep-sea fishing; all year-round! But what sets Hopkins apart from other Belizean destinations is its Garifuna culture and traditions – from visiting its drum school (many hotels offer sessions) and learning to make your drums to understanding this distinct culture that makes up much of Hopkins Belize!
The annual Mango Festival in Hopkins marks the local mango harvest with festivities and entertainment that showcase Garifuna culture and cuisine. Visitors can indulge in local street foods while browsing crafts made by local artisans. Live performances by top Belizean musicians keep the party going throughout the day and night; previous headliners have included Pen Cayetano, Griga Boyz and DJ Kadejah Tunn as headliners!
Mango Festival Belize features delicious mango dishes as well as other popular Belizean foods, including traditional Garifuna dishes like serre and hudut (grated cassava and bananas cooked in coconut milk) – staples at this event – not forgetting sweet wandla–a delicious local treat made of sugar and sesame seeds!
Mango Festival also hosts an exciting drumming competition that allows budding Belizean artists to demonstrate their talents while competing for prize money. This year’s lineup features notable artists like Dre Musiqq, Bad Gyal Sharon, and Tyree Edwards as rising stars who will showcase their talents.
At this year’s festival, there will also be a storyteller who offers personal accounts of Garifuna culture. She discusses their arrival to Belize via the Caribbean and describes their distinct music, food, and lifestyle – as well as how these characteristics blend with indigenous Mayan, Mestizo, and Mennonite cultures coexisting here in Belize. It provides an enticing view of Hopkins’ rich and diverse cultural heritage.
