Costa Rica News – One of the cultural/artsy items that Costa Rica is famous for is its painted oxcarts. Most of us have seen these painted wonders miniaturized in gift shops around Costa Rica, but you have not seen their real beauty and intrinsic design until you have seen the life size ones in person.
Many tourists love to take home miniature hand-painted oxcarts, as a souvenir of their trip to Costa Rica. The life sized carts used to be used to transport coffee from San Jose to the port of Puntarenas and are now used as a symbol for labor as well as a reminder of the delicious coffee produced here.
Every second Sunday of March (this year March 10th) there is a colorful festival of these oxcarts; it’s called Dia de los Boyeros, or Oxcart Driver’s Day. Head out to Escazu’s San Antonio to enjoy this year’s parade. Children and adults come from all over the country dressed in typical farmer clothes to join in the parade with their elaborate carts.
This festival also is a time for the community to have a religious gathering. A priest will come to bless the crops and animals brought to the parade by the farmers.
Each of the 100 carts is unique with designs of flowers, suns, and stars. They seem like kaleidoscopes of paint! Farmers drive their carts down the main avenue competing to win prizes. Come out to decide on your favorite!
