Prepare to Be Dazzled at Mazatlan’s Carnival

…and Witness Mexican Culture at its Best!

This is my third time in Mazatlan but I always went in the Fall. Luckily, we came in winter this time and ran right smack into the Carnaval de Mazatlan 2019.  It is reputed to be the third largest carnival in the world, after Rio and New Orleans. We have been in Mazatlan for ten weeks by this time so it was but natural for us to have learned a lot about Mexican culture. But at the Carnaval Parade, it was encapsulated in dazzling hours of pageantry from 5-10 pm. We saw the best of Mexican culture.

dramatic sunset

This year’s theme was Equinox and the Parade started near the Diver’s Point on the Malecon. It traveled along the Avenue del Mar that hugs the long boardwalk. We watched the Parade from a raised platform built by the Hotel Hacienda, almost where it started. Jutting out from the hotel’s façade, our front row seats were a strategic spot from which I could take pictures of the floats and the people with the glorious sunset glowing on the ocean as a backdrop.

During the whole night, it became obvious that Mexicans enjoy music. This includes traditional Mariachi, Norteño, Ranchera, and Corridos. It was in Mazatlán that the loud, booming Banda music was born. In fact, bands are a regular feature at Mazatlan beaches. But at the Carnaval Parade, it was front and center. One of the most applauded floats regaled the crowd with Banda music played by a band from a gigantic platform on a very tall float.

"bullfighting" at the Parade

prized seafood on floats

The national sport of Mexico is Charreria, which consists of a series of equestrian events. But bullfighting, a tradition brought from Spain, is also popular. In fact, Mexico has the largest venue for bullfighting in the world, the Plaza México in Mexico City which seats 48,000 people. There is one in Mazatlan but the city has banned the sport due to the urging of animal safety enthusiasts. At the Carnaval Parade, the penultimate showcase was a surprising and entertaining mock bullfight of a matador and two huge “bulls.”

Mazatlan’s economy is built upon the strong foundation of agri and aquaculture. Being next door to America is, in fact, a major stimulus to the country’s economy and Sinaloa is so close to Arizona that it is even more pronounced here. The city is extremely proud of its seafood. On this previous post, I wrote about Mexican food and mentioned that Mazatlan is the “shrimp capital of the world.” Many floats featured the prized seafood: pulpo (octopus), langosta (lobster), delfines (dolphins), etc. in contrast to the others that put Mexican beauties on pedestals. 

Mexican beauties on pedestals

Of course, Bill preferred those ladies to the bulls and the seafood! But both will not win against the favorite drink. Pacifico beer, the most popular Mexican beer, was founded in Mazatlan in the 1900s by German settlers. At the Parade, there was a special viewing platform for their people. In fact, because they partly sponsored the event, it was a huge Pacifico float that started the parade.

The dancing horses of Mazatlan ended the Parade. That’s when we started to walk back to the hotel as there was no taxi or pulmoniya around. It took us about an hour to reach the roundabout where the Carnaval Parade was just turning right at Avenue Rafael Buelva to go to its end point, Old Mazatlan near the Catedral. On the walk, we saw hundreds of thousands of Los Mazatlecos, families having spontaneous parties with food they had brought (or bought from the many street food kiosks on the main avenue and all its side streets), senoritas and senoritos dancing to the loud Banda music on the street, children collecting confetti so they can throw them again, and chairs seeming to float on their own as they were being carried on shoulders back to the cars.

picking up confetti to throw again

The Parade was well staged and directed. It brings to mind Mexico’s outstanding film industry that has produced Oscar winners in the Best Director category like Alfonso Cuarón who just won for Roma (which also won the Best Foreign Film category). The outstanding color and creativity all along the Malecon also brought to mind the famous  Mexican painter Frida Kahlo.

Mexican History on a Float

Mexican culture reflects the country’s complex history: the Aztec and Mayan roots that became an important cradle of civilization, the 300 years of Spanish rule and influence, and the turbulent road to independence. In one night, the warmth and expressiveness of the Spanish and the creative and artistic bent of the indigenous were meshed and on display. We were prepared to be dazzled at the Carnaval Parade. And we witnessed the best in Mexican culture.

POSTSCRIPT

One of the floats seemed to caricature the President of the US with whom Mexico seems to have a tenuous relationship. You be the judge!

pinnable image

pinnable image

pinnable image