FESTEJOS PATRONALES NARANJO

These patronal celebrations are in honor of Nuestra Señora del Carmen and are held in this canton of Alajuelense until August 7. The festivities are centered on the orange(naranjo means "orange"). Originally, the festival was nicknamed Los Naranjos because of the large orange plantations in the area. The name was changed in 1830 to Naranjo. It is still a major agricultural area today. The public tastes traditional dishes, including the puntalito naranjeño, a traditional local dish consisting of rice, salad, meat in sauce.