Peasant Wedding Revives Tradition at National Manito Festival

A traditional peasant wedding ceremony, not a theatrical performance, was a highlight of the 53rd National Manito Festival in Ocú, Herrera province. Marta Irene Rodríguez Montenegro and Juan González, a couple already married with three children, starred in the authentic celebration held at the San Sebastián parish.

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For me, very happy and grateful to God first of all for giving me the opportunity and the board for allowing me to participate and be chosen.

For Marta Irene, being chosen for the role held special family significance. Juan González expressed his deep gratitude for the opportunity, recalling the unique emotion he felt upon learning of his selection while working on a ranch. The couple resides in the Entradero de la Tijera district.

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A unique emotion that I still remember and it gives me goosebumps.

Dalton De León, president of the festival, explained that the peasant wedding is a key folkloric expression of the event. Twenty couples initially vied for the honor, with the chosen pair selected through a lottery. Queen Ana Lucía Campos de León also attended the ceremony, expressing her happiness as the festival entered its third day.

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Today we are here in the San Sebastián parish of Ocú, where one of the scenes and one of the important facets of the National Manito Festival will take place, such as the peasant wedding, a real event.

The festival, which runs from August 13 to 16, features ongoing activities including contests at the Feria San Sebastián grounds and the traditional Duelo del Tamarindo in the evening. The event will conclude on Sunday with a grand folkloric parade through the streets of Ocú.

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Very happy, very content and that we are already on the third day of the festival. Well, today we are here at the San Sebastián parish of Ocú to celebrate the sacred sacrament together with the couple.