January 2, 2020
Homecoming weekend happens late in the year every year, and is a celebration for Las Catalinas homeowners. In 2019, the celebration coincided with the annual Halloween Celebration, and things were lively in town. These two traditions have become staples of the year, and put town’s beauty, walkability, natural sociability, and friendly community to the forefront.
Homecoming Weekend
Once a year, homecoming weekend offers a single date on the calendar for all of the homeowners of Las Catalinas to come together, meet new friends, connect with old ones, and celebrate another year of town.
In the beginning, part of the vision for Las Catalinas was that it would be a town of homes and flats owned by individuals and families. This results in a strong connection between homeowners and town, as well as a sense of community between the many people who have fallen in love with Las Catalinas and decided to make town into home.
Many homeowners have shared that the friendships they’ve made in Las Catalinas have continued in other parts of the world, due to shared interests and time spent on the rocking chairs, walking the streets, paddling the waves, or riding the trails.
Part of the fun of the weekend is simply stepping out into town and seeing who you run into, and there have also been a number of activities.
There are groups out mountain biking and hiking multiple times throughout the weekend, inviting everyone who wants to join on rides around the trails and the region. Local partners from the Guanacaste Community Fund have hosted meetings and tours around the area for a deeper look at the outreach going on in the area. Copper and Stone put on an evening social for all residents and locals. ConnectOcean has invited homeowners to learn about diving, Citizen Science, and the outreach for water safety and environmental protection in the oceans around Las Catalinas.
Then came the colorful festivities of town’s Halloween Celebration.
Halloween Celebration
The 2019 Halloween celebration, like those before it, was a lively festival featuring trick-or-treating along the walkable streets and a beachfront full of carnival games, snacks and refreshments, and a haunted Halloween maze.
The whole weekend serves as a pleasant mini-vacation for locals who don’t live in town, offering the chance to get away for a few days, spend time with the family, and explore town and nature, all punctuated by the celebration on Halloween night.
For homeowners, this celebration is a time to see town come to life with colorful costumes and decorations, and serves as a high point towards the later portion of homecoming weekend. Whether out trick-or-treating, offering candy and treats to festival-goers along the route, setting out for the festivities down on Playa Danta, or welcoming friends afterwards, there is something to do in town for everyone.
It also helps that the winding walkable streets of Las Catalinas are practically tailor-made for trick-or-treating. The timeless traditional architecture enhances the atmosphere, with thoughtful detailing, unique facades, and doors of surprising shapes and sizes, all cast in the evening lantern light. The streets are safe from cars, turning the whole neighborhood into grounds for the celebration. The walkable road also twists and turns, drawing the eye around each corner or hidden pass in anticipation of new costumes and characters.
A Visit, A Stay, and Then Home
Every single Las Catalinas homeowner started first as a visitor to town. After all, the beauty of town and nature, the active and healthy lifestyle, and the friendly people have a way of making it hard to leave.
