Special events in Tela

Like all coastal cities, Tela is a lively city, where it doesn't take much to organize a good party.

Special events in Tela offer the perfect excuse for a visit to this city. Of course, one of the main ingredients that provides this informal, love for parties is the Garifuna Culture. Any young Garifuna kid can turn an old can or bucket into a drum and set up a dancing scene without previous notice!

Following is a list of the most important dates for varied events that take place in Tela on a yearly basis:

February

The Garifuna communities at Rio Tinto and La Ensenada both venerate the Virgin of Candelaria, who is their patron saint. The main celebration takes place on the 2nd of February, when the Garifunas put on their ceremonial clothes and dance and sing to their ancestral rhythms while playing with their traditional instruments: conch and drums.

Tela also celebrates their “parachuting festival” when you can take advantage and hire a “sky diving jump” with expert. Planes are ready and on standby at the Tela aerodrome. This could be the chance of your life to experience parachuting with the assistance of an expert, who will jump with you and land you safely right on the beautiful beaches of Tela.

March
March: Triunfo de la Cruz, one of the Garifuna communities within the Bay of Tela celebrates their patron, Saint Joseph on the 19th of March. This is a special day at Triunfo de La Cruz, and you can plan on spending the day there and joining the celebrations.

On the Weekend before Palm Sunday, which is usually in March, but can also be the end of February or the beginning of April, Tela celebrates their “Summer Song Festival” (Festival de la Cancion del Verano. This is the most important and famous musical event in Honduras. The event is organized by the Instituto San Antonio de Tela, as an effort to promote local and national talent. The event is attended by musical schools, as well as universities and high schools from throughout Honduras.

Easter Week. Easily the most festive week of the year in Tela! This week Tela comes alive with visitors from throughout Honduras and Central America. If there is one week when you MUST have reservations if coming to Tela, it is this week, so do not venture there without prior reservations. Many different activities take place throughout the week, including contests, concerts and parties.

April
April.  This is African Heritage month in Honduras, and Tela celebrates the arrival of the Garifuna to mainland Honduras on the 12th of April, 1797. Different activities take place throughout the month.

Towards the end of April a sports event, called “Telaman” takes place, and includes a triathlon, open sea swimming and running races. The event is hosted at the prestigious Indura Golf and Beach Resort in Tela.

May
May. During the Month of May, Tela celebrates its anniversary. The city was founded by the Spanish Conquistador, Cristobal de Olid on the 3rd of May, 1524, who arrived there under orders of Hernan Cortes, the conqueror of Mexico. Tela, as such, is one of the oldest communities in Honduras!

Also, during the month of May, the Garifuna community of Tornabe celebrates its patron saint, Saint Isidore. During the first half of the month this Garifuna Village celebrates various activities, where they dress up in their best gala to honor their patron saint.

June
June. Tela celebrates it local fair during the month of June in honor of Saint Anthony of Padua. The celebration takes place for a full week, and there are a variety of events and parties, including “carnavalitos” in different neighborhoods throughout the city. On the last day of the fair the community organizes a float parade and all night music carnival that has become one of the most popular events in Honduras. This tradition dates back to 1975.
September
September. Honduras celebrates its Independence from Spain on the 15th of September. Whenever the dates coincide with a weekend, it becomes a special event in Tela. On this day, there is a lot of civil and patriotic activity within the city, with the local elementary and high schools parading down the main streets of Tela.
October
October. The National Congress of Honduras has joined three separate holidays in October into one long event that starts the first Wednesday of October and lasts till the following Sunday. This long weekend has become known as “El Feriadito” and is actually almost a small Easter Week like event. There are many different parties and events taking place in Tela during this long holiday. As this long weekend is becoming more and more popular, it is truly important to make sure that you have reservations before you decide to travel to Tela for the holidays.