Changing habits, one festival at the time

Let’s take a moment to remind ourselves what a festival is…

“To change the minds of a village, sow the seeds of knowledge, nurture the soil of trust, and watch as the garden of transformation blooms"

A festival is a place where communities unite and share collective experiences.The goal should be to ensure that everyone participating and those nearby can enjoy themselves. Precisely this is what we are aiming to continue with in the second version of the Art & Culture Festival in San Jose, 2024.

Ironically, two weeks prior to this festival, a party was held in La Plaza, just outside nuestraselva

Sponsored by the local mayor's office, the event aimed to showcase their community initiatives, funded by government grants. A lovely idea. 

How was the party, you might ask? Loud music until 5AM, flashing lights, people sitting in plastic chairs drinking beer, shouting to one another to keep a conversation going. Not a party that is promoting the sort of community and life we had hoped politicians would support. It was most likely a relatively cheap party to host, meaning more money could go to the pockets of the mayor’s office… but that is just a crazy idea we have.

We went to La Plaza on the Sunday of the party, primarily to know at what time the music would stop. But more than that, we would also try to understand who the people involved were and listen to what the neighbors had to say. Everyone we talked to agreed that the noise was too loud.

Spreading joy with facial painting and making friends at the local church

A few days later, a friend from the local church reflected on this and said ‘I guess we just got used to the loud music in San Jose’.  It's a sobering thought—one that reminds us of the importance of creating spaces where community and tranquility can thrive.