Cultural Event ‘Nos Zjilea’
This event has a fusion of local arts & crafts, plants & vegetables and educational presentations. Enjoy the delicious food while listening to some of the best local musicians as they play live at cultural park Mangazina di Rei located at the east-entrance of Rincon.
The event is from 8am till 2pm.
At the Taste of Bonaire, visitors will have the opportunity to experience food, culture, local handcrafts and all things offered on Bonaire. On top of that, visitors will have the opportunity to taste signature dishes of well-known restaurants offered at special prices @ Wilhelmina Park. Starts at 6pm.
Simadan stems from Bonaire’s slave days and celebrates the growing season’s harvest (typically March/April). The festive harvest celebration in Bonaire varies from other places, perhaps, as a direct result of the way slaves on Bonaire were treated.
Bonaire’s slaves grew crops for owners and some were permitted personal crops as well, a “liberty” not usually afforded to slaves elsewhere. Personal gains gave Bonairean slaves reason to celebrate at Simadan, while slaves in Curacao, for example, witnessed harvest going only to the owners and lamented instead.
After Bonaire’s slavery abolition in 1863, most slaves received land. Together, families took turns helping to harvest and celebrating the crops throughout Simadan. Similarly today, families and friends gather to help harvest sorghum and maize, while the farmer supplies food and drink (rum) for the party.