Local Latin-American Success Story Brings a New Twist to Halloween

Determined to follow his dream, recognized Costa Rican artisan, Miguel Moreira, creates individual handmade puppets for this year's Vamos Rent-A-Car Halloween giveaway.

San Jose, October 18, 2018 - From a coffee-picking child to entrepreneur and artisan, Miguel Moreira's fascination with Mascaradas — the Halloween-esque celebration in Costa Rica -- has been life changing. Every year the larger-than-life puppets captured his imagination as they danced in the streets of his hometown of Barva de Heredia. Being one of the youngest in his neighborhood, Miguel wasn’t able to partake in the festivities, unlike the older children, as there were only seven costumes to go around. Despite Miguel’s begging to learn from the local artisan, all he received were tall tales of how the mascaradas appeared to the artist — flung from the nearby volcano, only to be dusted off and ready to wear. But that didn’t stop Miguel from trying. He attempted to make his own pig mask, but it didn’t turn out well, even for a youngster.

"My dad, back in those days, didn’t like me [making puppets]. He said that I had too much spare time and that it would be better spent on studying, learning an occupation, or working," Miguel recalls.

Over the years, his perseverance paid off and now his workshop is filled with handmade puppets inspired by tradition and by more modern influences such as movie and television personalities. Miguel’s experience has made him keen to open his doors to visitors with hopes of inspiring a future generation to continue this art form, just as he was drawn to the mascaradas of his youth.

Besides bringing his puppets to life at parties, Miguel’s latest project has been in collaboration with local car rental agency, Vamos Rent-A-Car, to produce a unique handcrafted creation marking the company’s first giveaway promotion on Halloween day. These limited, boxed collectible features a mini-mascarada devil that echoes the combined traditions of Spanish puppeteers with indigenous carved masks. Costa Rican culture lives on through the interest of locals and visitors alike.

About Vamos Rent-A-Car:
An alternative to the corporate franchises, Vamos is a locally owned car rental company with offices in Alajuela (San Jose) and Liberia; close to both international airports. With nearly 250 vehicles, the fleet includes sedans, intermediate 4x4s, standard, full-size and premium SUVs. Known for competitively priced rates and free perks with no hidden fees, their highly reviewed services are on such sites as TripAdvisor, Facebook, and Google+. Click for personalized customer service at: https://VamosRentACar.com.

Media Contact:
Ricardo Vargas
Vamos Rent-A-Car
3, Rio Segundo
Alajuela, 20109
Costa Rica
Phone + 506-4000-0557
pr@vamosrentacar.com

This release was published on openPR.