The International Art Festival has hit town. Costa Rica is flooded with theater, exhibitions, dance, and music for the month of April. Right on the heels of the Cow Parade Inauguration, Costa Rica hits the arts with a splash. One great event for the family is in la sabana - Costa Rica’s mini-mini Central Park.

I love this park. For a few years, I lived quite close to it and walked with my daughter on my back every day through the trails and around the lake. For the International Art Festival, vendors set up booths and food is served. There’s a theater for children, concerts performed on a huge stage in the middle of the lake, rides, and lots of crafts fashioned by the locals from paintings to sculpture to jewelry. This year, there are special exhibits put on featuring Chinese art and culture.

After a good run through the park as vendors set up tents, I retrieved my daughter from her gym class. We sniffed out the food right away. Then, we mingled among the tents to browse the wares and find a suitable treat to satiate Coco’s sweet tooth. She passed on the huge ice cream sundaes and decided on Chorros - these fried grease sticks sprinkled with sugar. They are kind of the Latin mini-donut.

We walked across the park back to our car. We’ve decided to return next week when I remember some money. I’ve eyed a cute bracelet, and Coco’s long overdue to spend some of her allowance. Now these Chorros are batter blobs. I mentioned deep fried? I’m kind of allergic to wheat, but I can sneak a tidbit here and there. Deep friend grease sticks with sugar? Refuse this? I reached for one, and Coco screamed.

You’re actually going to deny your mother a Chorro?

She chomped the tops of the sticks off, “nubbing” them down one by one. I ate one and reached for another.

Hey! she screamed.

Hey! I screamed back.

I’m just trying to stop you from eating wheat mommy!

Gee thanks, I said, still eyeing the bag. She was going to eat them all!

As we drove home, Coco took a slug of water. She started to choke and up came the last Chorro, chunks of sugar, water, and wheat poured onto my just-cleaned car and her brand new pants (less than 24 hours old).

I remembered a painting back at the festival. It was a surreal face, mouth open wide. Perhaps the figure had just thrown up too. So which comes first the life or the art? Next week, we’ll be back, and we’re brining her brother. I’m a glutton for punishment.

*The Festival Internaciona de las Artes Costa Rica runs April 11 until April 20, 2008.