Part 2: The Food, Games, Rides, Shopping, Music and Beers at the 2012 Belize Agriculture and Trade Show

The Agriculture and Trade Show of Belize isn’t just trade and agriculture, it isn’t just animals and plants. There is so much going on.  The fair grounds are HUGE and open at 6am…the schedule is jam packed from early morning until the grounds close at 6pm.
Yesterday’s post:  Animals, Plants, The Rodeo and San Pedranos.Let’s start with the things for sale…I am not even showing you a tiny portion.  There were probably well over 200 booths as well as countless vendors walking around.This enterprising gentleman was selling clothes to wipe your sweat with.  $1bzd.  Critical.  It was HOT and extremely dusty.  It would have been nice to have some iced water to dip them in.

It was so hot that you could even buy a shower…complete with soap and shampoo.  I can’t imagine how hot I would have to be to take advantage of this $2bzd offer.

Yes actually I can imagine.  I’d have to be on fire.  And then I’d still pause.

My favorite booth of all and the one that I frequented the most (other than Belikin and Heinekin) was this simple coconut water stand.  ICE cold and sweet.  I think I bought 5 glasses a day.

I swear this woman was lacing this with some sort of addictive substance.  I could not get enough coconut water.

I must have really needed it…I will let you know (whether you want to or not) that I drank all of that coconut water, a few diet Cokes and many, many beers and didn’t have to use the public stalls once.  THAT is how hot it was.  The sweating never stopped.

I bought some magical hemp oil, Coco de Rasta…touted to fix just about everything (from acne to ringworm).  It was also a booth to sign a petition to legalize marijuana.

He conveniently also stocked rolling papers.

The Running W food area was my favorite for food.  They were grilling massive amounts of Italian sausage on a stick, steak on a stick and yummy thick pork chops served with flour tortillas.  Pork in Belize is SO much more flavorful than in the United States…really really tasty.

There were all sorts of canned fruits and veggies.

Craboo fruit.  Ick.
There was an amazing amount of homemade wines/moonshine.
Everything!

Anything associated with cell phones was MOBBED.  The line for “Double Up/Triple Up” phone credits was hundreds of people long.

There were crafts for sale and lots of furniture…

…there were services for sale…

I really wanted a t-shirt but since that’s kind of a gringo thing, the only one I could find was at the British consulate.  They had a great booth, mainly commemorating the 60 year Diamond Jubilee of the Queen.  Their US counterparts, the American Embassy, (though listed on the fair map) were a no-show.  Boo!
The people at the booth were SO incedibly nice and helpful…
The gift of the day was bottle openers.  We got one from the Brits…and from the furniture company…and this one…
As Beth said…imagine the Internal Revenue Service in the US giving out beer openers?  Just would never happen.

Let’s swing by the rides and games…things didn’t get going until later in the afternoon.

A very random selection of stuffed animals from Valentine’s Day and Xmas stuff bears to a pink cat tadpole.

The giant ferris wheel, of course…

And the man who drives it with foot pedals in a modified tractor.  That is…when he wasn’t on his phone.

There are games of chance…

All the major rum and liquor companies had a booth.

There was SO MUCH BEER.  Look at this giant refrigerated trailer brought by Belikin beer.

Everyone was selling it and the prices got competitive.  Especially by day two of the fair.

I love you Belikin but the beer winner of the trade show?  Heinekin.

They were right next to the main stage and strategically placed around the fair grounds.  They had seating a Each on of their booths was like a full blown rave.  People wanted to be a part of it.  I could have spent a few hours here.

Great music, DJs getting the crowd going…everyone was drinking from these little Heineken cans.  3 for $10bzd.

If you bought more than 3, they gave them to you in a nice Heineken bag packed with precious ice.  Nice move Heinekin.

There was a cooking competition at the main stage.  Guess what they were making…you’ll never guess.  Stewed chicken with rice & beans.

Love FM and TV was broadcasting the whole three day event.

The music at the main stage was incredible.  Gilharry 7 played all day with featured artists peppered in.  I think this gentleman’s name is McCool.

He has so much energy…was so good.  I had to meet him.
This guy was great too.

And my very very favorites.  Concego.  As his t-shirt says, they were totally Puntarific.  Boys…if you have hear me.  Do you need a manager?  Come to San Pedro!

While on my way to the show, I made my friend promise the we wouldn’t go on the rickety rides.  But after a few beers, I was dying to get on the ferris wheel.  I talked Dennis from the San Pedro Sun into joining me.

Unlike ferris wheels that I’ve been on, this one whipped around…giving you that sensation that you were falling each time you went over.
It was also held together with quite a bit of string, duct tape and what looked like wire hangers.
The view was worth it…
In the end, this event rocked.  I will definitely be back.
Sorry to be so brief, but I need to get to the air strip for my plane to Honduras!  Talk to you guys tomorrow.

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