Wednesday, March 4, 2009 12:11 PM
Rob Kinnon
Carnaval in Playa del Carmen - We found the parade!!
After two failed attempts, Cole and I were finally rewarded for our efforts with a great view of the Carnaval 2009 parade! This year, the floats were staged along Constituyentes before progressing south on Avenida 20 to the Municipal Plaza. The streets were lined with onlookers, locals and tourists, many with children in tow. The vendors did a hearty business along the parade route, selling snacks and trinkets for the kids. While this parade could not approach the grand event we were treated to back in 2006, a carnaval procession which stretched on and on with hundreds of participants, it was still better than no parade at all. I was able to get some pretty good shots and a few short video clips of the action. Enjoy!
Lining up on Constituyentes.
So many fanciful costumes.
The girls on these floats were all so eager to have their picture taken, even after standing for hours in heavy, awkward costumes.
Some of those costumes looked pretty tough to dance in! Here's a short video clip of the festivities.
Sweet masthead.
Handsome Pirate King and his Queen.
Making their way down 20th.
Throwing candy to all the children along the parade route.
I liked this celestial themed float.
Not bad for an alien.
Some of these girls were devastatingly pretty.
Just in case you were uncertain which beer distributor was in charge this year!
A distinguished group from the Fundacio Mejico Meztizo A.C.. Maya of the 21st century!
Aren't they grand!!
The craftmanship on some of the floats was just amazing but some of the smaller independent groups were just as exciting.
Click here for a short clip of the drummers!
Fabulous pirate ship!
The Lucha Libre float!
In general, we saw far fewer independent float participants this year than in years past. One notable absence was my favorite group of drunk guys dressed as Aunt Jemima in black-face, wildly chasing each other around. In their stead, we had this talented group armed with a midget. Lovely.
Every year, Rob and I swear that we will make the trip to see the legendary festivities in Cozumel, and every year, something comes up and we don't make it. Well, I'm making that same promise again for Carnaval 2010. If Playa's parade schedule holds to past performance, we should be able to take in both festivals!!
Looking for Real Estate in Playa del Carmen? Visit our website www.BuyPlaya.com.
