San Pedro Lobster Festival 2024: The Events, What to Pack and the Block Party!

Lobster Season in Belize officially opens on July 1st…and the lobster traps and shades are being set in anticipation. San Pedro, Belize’s big Lobster Fest Block Party – the food, the music, the booths – will be the evening of Saturday, July 13th. Leading up to the Big Block Party is a mega-crawl…a lobster crawl…where local businesses host events each day and each night – all with a lobster theme…

But before I get to that…let me set the stage. What to expect from the weather…a few things to pack…what to expect for the beginning of July on Ambergris Caye.

Weather in July on Ambergris Caye

I can not tell you the exact forecast for the weather but I can tell you my experience with Lobsterfest weather in Belize. I’ve been here since the event started in 2007. July weather is hot, sunny and, if there is rain, is generally in short daytime pass overs showers and at night.

One quick note: Do not believe your usual weather APP – it will say rain every single day. Playing it too safe? No weather station in our area at all? Who knows why…but they pretty much always wrong this time of year.

Here’s a photo I took yesterday morning by our house – the weather sites (even the good one) predicted heavy rain all day. Instead, it was hot and sunny all day.

There is a chance of more rain – it is officially the Hurricane Season in the Atlantic – but it is very early for storms throughout the region, but more speficially, for the Western Caribbean (that’s us). Could it happen…could there be a storm now? Yes…but it is rare! Quite rare.

Could you encounter a bit of rain? Yes. Totally. We got a few inches of rain (for the first real time since January) last week. But, in my experience, it is primarily shorter bursts (and then HOT sun) or nighttime rain at this time of year.

Things to Pack this Time of Year

I’ll keep this short because Ambergris Caye is veery casual and you really do not need to bring much. But here are some specific things I’d add to my bag for this time of year

For a more comprehesive packing list for travel to Belize, see this post.

• Bug lotion/spray: I SWEAR by this brand for mosquitos – it is LONG lasting, not-greasy and doesn’t smell awful. It works just as well as heavy DEET without the chemical grease. (I’ve never seen it for sale here in Belize, so grab before you go)
• A light rain jacket that you can throw in your bag and hopefully never need
• A non-slippery sandal: Most flip flops and sandals become slip and slides on a wet surface…and even worse on a wet tile. I love having sandals with a little more…gripping power. Someone that can walk through a puddle or jog to my golf cart if it starts spritzing. These waterproof Birkenstocks are THE BEST. So sturdy and reliable…even good for a light hike.

And…of course…lobster gear. From subtle to more...just more. Amazon is a veritable wonderland of Lobster gear. Wonderland or black hole. One or the other! I definitely want some earrings!

The Schedule for LobsterFest 2024

Here is the official schedule – the events leading up to the Block Party. At each event, you can get an official stamp in your Lobster Passport – and, at the Block Party, you can use those stamps – one entry each – to enter the Grand Lobster Prize.

For all information on events and the drawing, follow the San Pedro Lobster Festival facebook page.

The Truck Stop is doing the Farmers/Craft Market on July 6th – so add that in too! Here’s a look at what the market is like…

And then the Block Party – here is a look at the party last year (I left early – it goes on…the music and dancing…until LATE NIGHT!)

Lots of food booths…

And music…

And lobster.

I’ll see you there. I’ll be the one feasting on my favorite lobster food. Lobsta dip! It’s a Belizean favorite.