July 4 picnic in Costa Rica
June 5th, 2008 | by admin |
The July 4 picnic for U.S. citizens is being resurrected, and the organizers say it will hold the 2008 event at the Cervecería Costa Rica grounds on Independence Day.
That day is a Friday this year. The picnic runs form 8 a.m. to noon in order to avoid possible afternoon rains.
The organizer, the American Colony Committee got in a bind last year, in part because the picnic ground west of San José was not available. The picnic was canceled after a 47-year run.
Some suggested at the time that the picnic would never again take place. The committee invests enormous amounts of time and energy, and some key individuals were ill.
Some 3,500 U.S. citizens and dependents attended the event in 2006. As always, the food, beer and other treats were free, paid for with donations.
Not so this year, according to a letter sent out by the committee over the names of Grace Woodman and Margaret Sohn, co-chairwomen. This year the committee will seek what it says will be a small entrance fee. No amount was specified.
In the past the committee, a private group, sought voluntary donations from those who attended.
When it was started, the July 4 event was designed to show youngsters of U.S. citizens a typical Independence Day celebration. Some youngsters had never been to the United States.
Part of the tradition includes U.S. Marines raising the U.S. Flag and the singing of the National Anthem. The current U.S. ambassador always attended and sometimes U.S. senators and congressmen who were in the area.
The event originally was at the home of the U.S. ambassador.
As attendance grew, the celebration moved to the Cervecería Costa Rica beer company picnic grounds. Although some Costa Ricans were unhappy with the rule that attendees had to be U.S. citizens or related to one, the actual enforcement was not rigid.
There was no word on what the rule might be this year.
The committee is seeking support beforehand from the U.S. business community and other firms and individuals with ties to the United States. A suggested donation is $300, according to the letter.
