Ambergris Caye's biggest weekend of the year played out on September 20-21, as San Pedro joined the rest of Belize in marking 45 years of independence under the theme "Look at Me, I Am Belize @ 45."

The festivities opened at 8PM on Saca Chispas Field with an evening of live music and cultural performance: Island Flames Band, the San Pedro Roman Catholic School Marching Band, San Pedro Dance Company, One Love Band and DJ Debbie all took the stage, with the Belize Coast Guard joining the official programme. The night built to the traditional rituals — a guard inspection led by Mayor Gualberto "Wally" Nuñez just before midnight, the flag-raising, a 21-gun salute, and fireworks to usher in Independence Day proper.

The following afternoon, the parade kicked off at 3PM near the South Gas Station and wound through San Pedro's main streets to Boca del Rio Park, where crowds settled in for food, music and refreshments.

The speeches carried plenty of news for anyone with the island on their radar. Mayor Nuñez flagged plans to pave the northern road and the route to Secret Beach — with routing deliberately designed to avoid disturbing turtle-nesting areas — plus upgrades in San Mateo including a new bridge, expanded water and electricity, and more paving. He also pressed residents and visitors alike on waste management and sargassum control, a reminder that keeping the island clean is a shared job.

Area Representative Andre Perez, who speaks for both San Pedro and Caye Caulker, was frank about the September shoulder season: hotels, restaurants, guides and taxi operators are all feeling the slow-down. He listed projects in motion — road works, a planned revamp of Volcano Park into a community space, free tuition for 683 students at San Pedro High and 175 at Caye Caulker's Ocean Academy — and confirmed the new island hospital is roughly 70% built, targeting May 2027.

For travellers, the takeaways are practical. Independence Day (September 21) is one of Belize's liveliest national celebrations, and San Pedro's version — fireworks, marching bands, a full street parade — is among the most atmospheric places to catch it. Just know that late September sits squarely in low season: better rates and thinner crowds, but some businesses scale back and sargassum can affect the beaches. If a quieter island with front-row seats to a national party sounds appealing, this is your window. — San Pedro Sun