The Ministerio de Cultura y Juventud (MCJ), in partnership with the Fundación La Libertad, has announced the upcoming Fogón Futuro Festival, the first official Costa Rican cuisine festival. The event will take place on March 14 and 15 at Parque La Libertad.
The festival is presented as a celebration of culinary identity, understood as living cultural heritage, collective memory, and a driver of territorial development.
A Platform for Gastronomic Heritage
Over two days, the festival will bring together traditional cooks, communities, producers, entrepreneurs, academia, and the general public in a space dedicated to learning, exchange, and family-friendly enjoyment.
The program includes master classes led by tradition bearers representing Guanacaste, Limón, the Central Valley, the Huetar Indigenous people, and the Gulf islands. These sessions will highlight techniques, recipes, and inherited knowledge that form part of Costa Rica’s culinary memory.
National and International Speakers
The festival will also feature a series of national and international conferences with prominent figures in contemporary gastronomy.
Speakers include Pedro Miguel Schiaffino (Peru), Estefanía Simon-Sasyk, Tirsa Morales, a Bribri leader from Costa Rica, and José Pérez Navarro (Panama). Topics will focus on sustainability, biodiversity, food innovation, and strengthening cuisine from a territorial perspective.
According to statements by Minister of Culture and Youth Jorge Rodríguez Vives, Fogón Futuro aims to position Costa Rican cuisine as living cultural heritage and as an engine for community-based economic development.
Gastronomic Market and Free Concerts
Attendees will enjoy tastings featuring lesser-known ingredients, a gastronomic market with around 20 entrepreneurial ventures, and ongoing sales of traditional dishes.
The evenings will close with free concerts by Gandhi and the Philharmonic Orchestra, integrating music into the cultural experience of the festival.
Patricio Morera Víquez, Executive Director of Parque La Libertad, stated that the festival seeks to connect identity, territory, and local development opportunities, strengthening the bond between culture and community.
A Family-Friendly Event at Parque La Libertad
The festival is designed as an inclusive, family-oriented space, featuring children’s activities and circus performances. It will take place at Parque La Libertad, located between Río Azul and Fátima in Desamparados, further consolidating the venue as a key cultural and community meeting point.
