The most authentic costums and traditions from the town of Ocu in Los Santos Province can be enjoy from August 16 to 18 at Manito Ocueño National Festival. One of the most outstanding folkloric celebrations at the Azuero Peninsula to show the daily life of local farmers that have enriched our national identity.
On friday August 16 is dedicated to kid’s contests on folkloric values. Boys and girls from 6 to 12 years can participate starting 10am. At 7pm the “Luis Torres” accordion contest will be held and at 8;30pm outstanding people related to folklore from around the district will be honored. Later will be folkloric dances and presentations from various delegations invited.
The main attraction is the typical wedding celebration exactly like it used to be long time ago. This will be held on Saturday August 17 with the welcoming of the couple Rodrigo Lopez and the teacher Celideth Riquelme. The mass will be at 10am at San Sebastian church, at 11am the newly weds will have a parade through the streets of Ocu up to the fair where the festival is located. In the afternoon people can attend the national accordion contest with Jr competitions and the traditional tamarindo duel.
Sunday August 18 is the last day of the event, starts at 9am with the welcoming of the official flag bearer, Jose Gabriel Carrizo, Vice President of Panama.
This Festival is sponsored by the National Institute of Culture and Panama Tourism Authority to develop cultural tourism in the country side. Ivan Eskildsen said “Panama Tourism Authority backs this festival because it preserves the cultural identity of the town of Ocu, which is different from the rest of the country”. Gabriel Gonzalez, the Deputy Administrator of the Institute of Culture of Panama also said “this festival is an incomparable scenario of our folklore, showing the most ancestral of our traditions and costums dating back to colonial times”.
The inaugural ribbon cutting to officially start the festival will be on Thursday August 15, where folklorist Gregorio Arjona will be honored. Later will be held the coronation of Yaniles Navarro as the queen of the festival.
