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Walter Ferguson Culture and Enviroment Festival
Music, poetry, dance, theater, arts workshops, July 5-18; calypso concert, July 10, 4-8 p.m., Cahuita, Limón. Info: www.adic.soy.es.

Vacation Camp
For ages 3.5-13, games, experiments, talks, adventure, food included, July 5-9 and 12-16, 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Children's Museum. Information at 2258-4929, ext. 124 or 125.

SEK Camps
Storytelling, balloons, dance, painting, acting, various groups, July 5-16, 8:30 a.m.- 1:30 p.m.; Sports Camp, ages 7-9, includes tents, food, supplies, July 5-7, SEK School, Cipreses, Curridabat, 1.5 km north of La Galera gas station. Info: 2272-5464.

Adventure Kids Day Camp
Ages 5-12, nature activities, sports, crafts, swimming, field trip, bilingual, July 5-9, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Escazú and Ciudad Colón, 2289-0404, advkids@gmail.com.

Vacation Robotics Classes
July 5-9, 2-5 p.m., Mentes que Maquinan, Pinares de Curridabat. Info: 2271-5042, pattyct@racsa.co.cr.

Manuel Obregón and Cristóbal Jiménez in Concert
Celebrating Venezuela's Independance Day, July 5, 7 p.m., Melico Salazar Theater.

Costa Rica has granted the U.S. military a six-month window to bring 7,000 Marines, five planes and 46 warships into its territory to help stem the flow of drugs northward.

The Central American country has increasingly become a target for drug traffickers as intelligence and law enforcement agencies have cut off other routes through Mexico. Without an army and with long coastlines and poorly guarded borders, Costa Rica is vulnerable to drug cartels using well-refined transportation mechanisms and the latest technological equipment, security experts say.

Some Costa Rican legislators voiced concern about the authorization, saying it gives the United States a “blank check” to use its territory and threatens the nation's sovereignty.

According to a letter from Costa Rican Public Security Minister José María Tijerino, specific requests to dock or unload U.S. military ships must be submitted to the country one month in advance.

The permission was granted by a 31-8 vote of the Legislative Assembly on Thursday night and allows the United States to use the country's territory through Dec. 31.

About the only thing missing from the U.S. Independence Day celebration in Costa Rica on Sunday were the fireworks.

Aside from the firecrackers and skyrockets that highlight most Fourth of July celebrations in the United States, the celebration had all the other ingredients to make the day feel like home, including hot dogs, popcorn, a children's parade, classic cars and live music.

The fairgrounds of the Cervecería Costa Rica in Alajuela, northwest of San José, were packed with U.S. flags, children playing summertime games and family picnickers.

“It was better than ever,” said Susan Tessem, president of the American Colony Committee, who along with a team of volunteers put the event together. “It was the American spirit that made it so great.”

Tessem wasn't the only one taken aback by the success of the day. As the partygoers climbed out of their cars and watched the stream of flag-carrying, red-white-and-blue-clad compatriots, many jaws dropped in surprise.

“I had no idea it was this big,” one woman said.

And this wasn't just any Fourth of July celebration in Costa Rica. On the occasion of its 50th celebration of U.S. Independence Day in Costa Rica, the American Colony Committee broke from tradition and gained permission to host the event during the weekend. Typically, it has been held on a weekday because of the Cervecería's in-demand weekend schedule.

“It made a great difference to have the celebration on a weekend,” Tessem said. “There were people here who hadn't been to a July 4th in years.”

For those who didn't make it to the event, Tessem had a message for next year: “Don't miss out!”

Watch a video of the event, below.

The wrong surf queen was crowned two weekends ago at the National Surf Circuit finals due to a math error.

The Costa Rican Surf Federation announced in a July 2 statement that seven-time national champion Lisbeth Vindas, 27, was mistakenly awarded the 2010 women's title on June 27 due to an “error in the application of the ranking points table” in the women's open category.

The statement explained that the circuit's grand finals event, held June 25 to 27 at the Central Pacific's Playa Hermosa (TT, July 2), was classified as a five-star competition, but the points were erroneously assigned in the women's category using the point scale for a four-star contest. After the error was recognized and the math redone, Nataly Bernold came out on top with a cumulative total of 6,040 points to Vindas' 6,000, belatedly earning the 17-year-old her third national women's title.

The federation issued an apology in the statement to the surfers, the media and the competitors' sponsors, and said it is taking precautions to ensure the error is not repeated.