Costa Rica‘s Festival of Light

From City Glow to Coastal Spark

By Anne-Marie Mascaro

The “Festival of Light” in Costa Rica isn’t just an event; it’s a luminous holiday spectacle that runs for a season and rolls out from San José to the coastal towns.  At its heart in San José is the city’s famous Festival de la Luz, a mid-December nighttime parade of illuminated floats, marching bands, masquerades, dancers, and fireworks that marks the unofficial start of Christmas across the country.  This year, the parade debuts a new route - a 360-degree circuit encircling La Sabana Metropolitan Park.

In San José, the parade is a full production, equal parts civic pride and theater. Schools, small businesses, and cultural groups spend months building themed floats and costumes, turning the streets into a living stage where story, rhythm, and color come alive under the lights. Families line the route early, kids wave glowing wands, and the city hums with that mix of organization and chaos that only big national celebrations manage to pull off.

San José’s Festival de la Luz, set for December 13, 2025, anchors the national celebration and sets the tone for the season. From there, coastal towns spin off their own schedules as December unfolds.  Out on the coast, the festival’s energy takes a different form: smaller, homegrown, and beachier. 

Towns like Tamarindo, Jacó, Manuel Antonio, Playas del Coco, and Puerto Viejo create their own versions with tree lightings, night markets, and local parades. You’ll see bikes strung with LEDs, bands playing holiday tunes, tamale and rompope stalls, and fireworks bursting over the waves. It’s part street fair, part beach bonfire that is less about outdoor theater and more about shared moments and sandy feet.

Coastal highlights often include:

• Neighborhood floats and parades that favor community over choreography.

• Public tree-lightings and artisan markets that double as fundraisers and social hubs. 

•  Fireworks and oceanfront countdowns that stretch from Christmas Eve through New Year’s.

•  A steady soundtrack of live bands, laughter, and the clink of rompope glasses.  Rompope is a traditional Latin American holiday drink - kind of like eggnog’s sweeter, boozier cousin.

Tamarindo’s bike parade and tree-lighting have become annual staples, while beach hotspots host big New Year’s Eve parties that draw both locals and travelers looking to toast under the stars.  

If you’re visiting the coast this December, don’t expect a single official “Festival de la Luz” event.  Think instead of a constellation of community gatherings. Walk through plazas lit with string lights, browse pop-up markets, follow the sound of a brass band, or join a beach crowd counting down to midnight as fireworks shimmer across the sea.  The best places to stay up to date on coastal town celebrations are the individual towns‘ official website page.  The Municipalidad or Junta de Distrito often will post local festivities, parade routes, and dates.  Facebook and Instagram pages for the town typically share details closer to the date.

Wherever you wander, Costa Rica’s Festival of Light isn’t just a single parade - it’s a glow that moves from bustling city streets to quiet, sandy shores: from candle flames to fireworks; from one family gathering to another. Across the country, the spirit is shared: joy, togetherness, and pura vida beneath the palms.

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Anne-Marie Mascaro is a freelance writer and founder of Monkeyfriendly.com, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that connects scientists and non-scientists to collaborate on wildlife projects. She launched an educational initiative bringing wildlife education to local schools in Costa Rica. Want to get your school involved?

 Email: info@monkeyfriendly.com

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