Rain Threatens Carnival Road March; Mayor Wagner Weighs In

The National Met Service says that showers are still expected into the weekend, raising concerns about the fate of the 2024 Carnival Road March. And while some say they don’t mind a little rain on Carnival Day, Belize City Mayor Bernard Wagner, says he’s leaning towards having the event rescheduled. Wagner says that he feels that the Carnival is an activity that should be enjoyed in the sun.

Bernard Wagner, Mayor of Belize City: “You have to play it by ear. I believe that you have to be able to see that the rains will to some extent continue and you don’t want indecision. You don’t want indecisiveness. Carnival is about an activity where you want the sun, it’s an experience and if you are in and out, you’re not sure it will turn people off. So you have to be decisive in your decision making, in we’ll have it or we’ll not have it. And so you have to begin to make plans on if I’m not having it Saturday when will I have it because it’s an experience and people will not go and stand up in rain, that’s the reality. And so the organizers have to quickly decide even if the rain stops will the streets still have moisture on it, water on it, will it still draw the same sort of excitement. I am all for the carnival being celebrated on another day. In my view carnival is with sun, I never enjoy a carnival in rain. No care what people will say about oh we’ll dance in the rain, no it’s a sun activity. You want the family around, you want the children around. It’s a sort of coming out we sit down on the sidewalk and we wait around. You don’t want to be in no rain. So while people will always say let’s have it in the rain I am more a sun activity.”

Wagner says that city council staff will be assisting if the carnival does take place. He does hope, however, that his staff will not have to be working in rainy conditions.