Tuesday, May 6, 2003

Log 10A - Loreto Fest 2003 Puerto Escondido, BCS, Mexico

"In the end, kids won't remember that fancy toy you bought them, they will remember the time you spent with them." - Kevin Heath

This blog highlights Loreto Fest (May 2-5, 2003)
 an annual "cruisers'" festival held in Puerto Escondido, about one-third the way up the Sea of Cortez on the Baha Peninsula side and just south of the historic town of Loreto.



Puerto Escondido is a beautiful protected bay (actual hurricane hold-out bay if needed) with the majestic “Sierra De Le Giganta” Mountains as a backdrop. It is really quite spectacular.


Puerto Escondido - Baha California South, Mexico


For the 8th year, cruisers (and now an increasing number of RVers) congregated for 4 days of music, crafts, events, games and contests, and general comradery. The original purpose and a continuing event of Loreto Fest was and remains cleaning up garbage, which somehow continues to collect throughout the immediate area. We had heard, as did other family cruisers, that the festival was a family event and, in self-fulfilling prophesy style, showed up to complete a complement of 5 family boats harnessing the energy of 11 cruiser-kids.


Great rendezvous for the cruiser kids.


Here s/v Tioga reunites with s/v Atalanta - just in time for the Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves Ball!!

Ginny, Michael, Rhiannon & Vienna w/ Sheila, Chris Joel and Gerrit

The snorkel performers anxiously await their turn on stage.




'Old Macdonald' sung through snorkel tubes is a great hit with the crowd.




Yikes! What's this show coming to??





Winners of the spam and bimbo bread carving contest.

Kids from s/v Tioga, Altanta & Chika

The annual Pigs Game Competition is in full swing.



The great flying pig watches over the play.



Musician Travis from s/v Mystery Tramp teaches his song 'Naked Canadian' to the kids for the evening performance.




Low and behold real naked Canadians appear on stage during the performance...Chris and Michael up to their tricks again!!




A little after performance hug...Travis was such a great guy.

Travis and some of the band.

The annual dingy parade is so fun.  Everyone dresses up and shows off in style. 

Jimmy the Pirate Boy.


Go figure...Uncle Sam appears to have relocated to Mexico.



Hey, what have you done with Joel and Vienna??



Ahh, cleaning chicken and drinkin' beer - does life get any better?




Joel joins in on a late night jam session. It's rumored that Carlos Santan's current drummer is in on this little session....pretty cool company if it's true.




Chris and MJ from s/v Island Sonata jamming together.



1 hour and 57 minutes and still going???

Gerrit the crazy hula kid

Joel wins 'Grand Pig' honors in the Pigs' Tournament.  His name forever engraved on the Loreto Fest Trophy.

2003 Loreto Fest Pigs Champion

Rattle snake minding his own business




The Crew of SV Tioga Reports on Loreto Fest:

What a great rendezvous for all! The event was well organized with a general gathering area complete with tables, chairs and beer-tents, a stage area and sound system, and a food preparation area for the various dinners and pancake breakfast. In addition, there where latrine facilities (absent in prior years), potable water and lots of room to tie up your dinghy, sentry on hand. There were numerous opportunities for the kids to participate, for their parents to visit, and in the evening for all to enjoy the wealth and breadth of musical talent within the cruising community. One evening, I recall, the artist on stage paused in mid-song and directed the audience to all look over our shoulders. We all turned to marvel at a magnificent sunset and to ponder and give thanks for the wonderful opportunity we all had to cruise and to gather here together in Puerto Escondido.    -cr

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Loreto Fest will forever be emblazoned in my memory as one of the best family festivals out there.  So many different activities providing fun for all.  Great to reconnect with many of the cruising families we have met along the way.  Good friends, good food, great music...what more can you ask for.      -sr

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Loreto Fest is fun when you participate. Lots of adults and kids were involved. In the dinghy parade, my friend Vienna and I were Indians. My dad and my brother were pirates. People could come in a costume for the potluck supper. There were prizes for the best costume in the dinghy parade. My dad and his friend got into their underpants for the song that a bunch of us kids did on stage called Naked Canadian. You get out what you put in from Loreto Fest and I had a lot of fun.

     Joel Richards (9)

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Loreto Fest is a family festival. Kids had the opportunity to go up on stage and sing. There were lots of games and contests for the kids and adults. For example, a Bimbo bread building and Spam carving contest. You have more fun if you participate, and that's what the kids of 2003 did.

     Gerrit Richards (7)


And that's a wrap on Loreto Fest 2003.  Join us in log 11 where we travel from Loreto to San Carlos, Mexico.