Deer Dance at Lubaantun - Sunday 25th May
10am to 4pm, San Pedro Columbia Village, BZ$1.50 adults, BZ$0.50 children
Special bus service 9.30am and 1pm departures from PG, returning 4.30pm
Tickets from the Toledo Tourism Information Centre, Front Street, Punta Gorda, or from the Taste of Toledo Fair on Saturday 24th May. BZ$5 return fare per person.

One of the highlights of last year's Festival was the performance of the Deer Dance, and this year we have taken this inland to the atmospheric Maya site of Lubaantun - the first time the Deer Dance has been performed at a Maya site - for a full day of Maya culture.

The Dance itself is usually held over several days, but the villagers of Santa Elena and Santa Cruz will be performing excerpts from some of its many chapters. The day begins at 10am with ceremonies followed by small groups of dancers taking you through different sections of the story, before a finale with the entire troupe at 3.15 pm. The story behind the dance will be narrated in both Kekchi and Mopan Maya by Mr Pedro Pop, and translated into English by Justino Peck, and the dancers will break at 11am and 2pm when there will be cultural story-telling.

One of the CacaoFest Committee's community projects is that of improvements to the Visitors' Centre at Lubaantun to allow for the return of artifacts moved to Belmopan for safe-keeping following the devastation caused by Hurricane Iris. This work has now been completed, and Ms Diane Haylock, the President of NICH, will be re-dedicating the Visitors' Centre at 2.30pm. This is followed by a special presentation on the revitalisation of old traditions and the meaning of the Deer Dance in Maya ritual by Dr Jaime Awe, the head of the Institute of Archaeology, after which the 'Finale' will be performed.

There will be cultural food, drinks, and crafts on sale from the booths near the Visitors' Centre. Sample shute and caldo, and marvel at the craftsmanship that goes into making the Maya baskets and embroidery! You can also buy hand-crafted replicas of the ancient clay ocarinas found at Lubaantun. Please note that food and drinks are NOT allowed in the Plaza itself, and please dispose of any garbage responsibly.

SPECIAL NOTES:
Please remember that Lubaantun is a sacred site and the Deer Dance is a very important part of Maya culture and tradition. Please do not take photos during the dancing, please do not take food or drink into the Plaza, and please dispose of your garbage responsibly.

A special bus service will operate from PG Town at 9.30am and 1pm, returning from Lubaantun at 4.30pm after the Finale dance, return tickets BZ$5 from the CacaoFest Tent at the Taste of Toledo Fair in PG on Saturday 24th May.

The Site is closed to private vehicles, but parking is available at the Lubaantun junction and there is a free shuttle to take you close to the Site entrance.

Please bear in mind that while there are bathroom facilities at the site these are limited, so please be patient!

This very special performance of the Deer Dance is held in association with the TCGA, San Pedro Columbia Village Council, Romero's Charters, the Institute of Archaeology, NICH,  the Ministry of Culture and Sport, and of course the dancers from Santa Elena and Santa Cruz!