San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, and municipalities across the country honored the 225th anniversary of the Battle of Saint George’s Caye with pride, patriotism, and revelry. The celebration started with the annual Fire Engine Parade on Saturday, September 9th, followed by festivities at the Honourable Louis Sylvester Sporting Arena to welcome the 10th of September, the holiday’s official date. A children’s uniform and citizen’s parade took place the following day in downtown San Pedro and ended at the Boca de Rio Beach Park for a family day.
The anticipated Fire Engine Parade began in front of the police station on Pescador Drive at 7PM, heading north onto Laguna Drive and into the San Mateo Area. The parade consisted of the fire truck, police vehicles, ambulances, members of the transport department, and other private vehicles. The route continued down Laguna Drive, onto Pescador Drive, and then south through Coconut Drive toward other subdivisions like Escalante and DFC. The parade was joined by Mayor Gualberto’ Wally’ Nuñez, his Councillors, and staff, along with Miss San Pedro Mariel Calderon, who greeted and waved at people along the route that ended at the police station.
The doors opened at the Honourable Louis Sylvester Sporting Arena at 8PM, welcoming hundreds for a festivity dubbed ‘9th Night Explosion.’ The festive evening included a repertoire of Belizean talent with performances from the Creek Vibrations Band, Punta Boy Legend, The General Supa G and San Pedro’s very own Andrz, and SheBeSky.
Soca artist Shal Marshall, from Trinidad and Tobago, highlighted the celebration. His hit ‘Splinters‘ took hold of Soca revelers in San Pedro as they filled the dance floor. Other songs enjoyed by islanders included ‘Shell Way’ and ‘Motivation.’ DJ Dalla, DJ Debbie, and Mista Flava Cloud 9 backed up the entertainment lineup. The party continued until the wee hours of the night.
Uniform and Citizen’s Parade
The traditional parade, with the attendance of students from different schools across the island, started with an address from Mayor Nuñez at the Honourable Louis Sylvester Sporting Arena. Nuñez spoke about the significance of the celebration, telling about the bold efforts of Belize’s forefathers who, as per history, in the Battle of St. George’s Caye, stood up and fought the Spaniards who tried to expel them from what is now Belize on September 10, 1798. The Mayor stressed that such a historical event brought Belize into existence. “It is important to acknowledge the fact that because they were here at that time in history, we are here in this time of our history,” said Nuñez. He added that another important part of the Battle of St. George’s Caye is that people are sometimes called to take a task in favor of their existence and success. “At the stage in which we are in Belize’s development, we are witnessing rapid growth and development, especially in tourism,” said Nuñez. “I must remind you that with development comes danger. We must take care of our resources so that future generations can enjoy them as we do.” Mayor Nuñez emphasized that we must preserve the Belizean identity and culture, calling on everyone to join the effort in building a vibrant community and country.
After the Mayor’s remarks, the uniform and citizen’s parade started at the sporting arena, heading north to the Boca del Rio Beach Park. The Fire Service led the parade along with the San Pedro Youth Cadets. The San Pedro Town Council and Miss San Pedro Mariel Calderon followed with students from different schools. As they marched through the streets of downtown San Pedro, spectators cheered them on. When they made it to Boca del Rio, the celebration continued with a family day full of fun activities and live music by the Creek Vibrations Band and DJ Debbie.
This year’s national celebration theme is ‘Hope Ignited, Hands United, Vision Renewed: Belize @42!’ The next grand festivity is Independence Day on September 21st, marking the 42nd anniversary of the nation’s existence.
