TRAVEL AWAITS: 6 Best Events At One Of The Largest Carnivals In The World

The original article was published in TravelAwaits on Feb. 24, 2022.

I have spent four winters in Mazatlan since 2018 and I have been dazzled by its pre-Lent Carnaval three times. In 2021 I didn’t go and the event didn’t happen either. So when it was announced that the Carnaval de Mazatlan would be held in 2022 with the theme, “Lanao, El Viaje Continuar,” I was excited. The 124^th season of one of the largest carnivals in the world alongside the 10-day Rio and the single-day New Orleans, took place on Feb. 24 to March 1. It was a six-day Mardi Gras of coronations, fireworks, concerts, games, parades, and parties celebrated along the 21-kim long Malecon, the longest boardwalk in Latin America.

Thursday Feb. 24. The Coronation of the Carnival King

The first events were the coronations of the Royal Carnival Family who will preside over the festivities: The King, The Queens, and the Child Queen. These events were held at the Teodoro Mariscal Baseball Stadium with a capacity of 16,000 and featured lots of dancing, animated video effects, and epic fireworks.

From 1898 to 1928 the Carnival King was called the King of Madness, celebrating the satirical role kings sometimes play. From 1929 to 1964, the coronations were suspended. When the organizers brought back royalty into the Carnaval, it became The King of Joy. This Coronation was held at 8 pm, on Feb. 24. It was a fun and rowdy opening night followed by a huge concert.

Friday Feb. 25 & 26 The Coronation of the Carnival Queens

The Queens are chosen from among the winners of many beauty contests held all around Mazatlan. The winner is declared The Carnival Queen and the runner-up is the Queen of the Floral Games. People dress casually for the King’s Coronation but for the Queens’ celebrations, they come out in their best party attire. The Carnival Queen was crowned at 6 pm on Feb. 26.

The day before, a poetry and literature contest that started back in 1925 called the Floral Games, was staged. It included an award for the best literary work published in Mexico that year. Its name came from the flowers originally given as prizes but now with the myriad of entries it receives, the literary awards have become very prestigious with many famous authors among the past winners. The Queen of the Floral Games was crowned at 8 pm.

Saturday, Feb. 26.  The Burning of Bad Humor and Naval Combat

Right after the Coronation of The Carnival Queen, an unusual event is held. The Burning of the Bad Humor is a Mexican tradition. A giant puppet that has been filled with firecrackers is hanged and then burned to banish something bad that is hovering over the city. Most of the time, it is an unpopular public figure but in 2020 it was, of course, Coronavirus. The virus has not left us, however, so they burned it again this year!

Immediately after, the most popular event of the week bursts into the scene. Over 500,000 people congregate in Olas Atlas, the iconic golden beach of Mazatlan and the Carnaval party zone at the southern end of the Malecon. Extravagant fireworks display accompanied “Naval Combat,” the reenactment of the battle between a French naval ship that tried to invade Mazatlán and the residents who fiercely fought back. The event has been the symbol of Mazatlan's valor and victory. This year we tried to arrange to watch it aboard a rented ferry boat but we failed. Others reserve spots on roofs of hotels and condos.

Sunday, Feb. 27. The Carnival Parade

But it is the Carnival Parade that highlights the week. About 300,000 people watch as it slowly travels along the Avenue del Mar that hugs the long boardwalk of the Malecon. Families stake out their spots early and carry their folding chairs and coolers on long walks from distant parking lots. In 2019 we watched from a raised platform built by the Hotel Hacienda. Our front-row seats were a strategic spot from which I took pictures of the revelry up to late into the night. Others reserve a table at a high enough restaurant deck or book a night at one of the many hotels with balconies fronting the Malecon.

The parade leaves at about 4:30 pm from the Fishermen’s Monument going north to the famous Valentino’s, a stretch of 11 kilometers of the Malecon. A pre-parade will see participation from businesses like Pacifico tossing out freebies to the crowd. The main parade rolls out 30 minutes later. This year we saw 30 (used to be 40) elaborately decorated themed floats, thousands of dancers, musicians, and even dancing horses and present carnival royalty. In the past few days, huge monigotes (creative stick men) have been quickly installed alongside the permanent Malecon monuments.

Monday, Feb. 28. The Children’s Dance and the Child Queen Coronation

And the children have their own day at the Carnaval!  At 10 am on Monday, the Children’s Dance was held at the Salon Spectaculare which filled up with eager little children dancing to the delight of family and friends. There were lots of awards and prizes for both choreography and costumes. In the evening at 6:30 pm the Coronation of the Child Queen, a tradition that started in 1921, was held at the baseball stadium.

Tuesday, March 1. The Second Parade

On the last day, Shrove Tuesday (the day before Ash Wednesday), a second parade marks the end. The parade flows along the same route but immediately after, epic party bursts and lasts long into the night. It is the last chance to party before the solemn observance of Lent begins. On this parade that starts earlier at 4 pm, everything is more casual, relaxed, and less crowded.

The Carnaval de Mazatlan encapsulates vibrant Mexican culture and history with an abundance of typical Mazatleco music and brass bands at every corner, festival food at every turn, and costumes and pageantry at every hour. On Carnaval week, many many more satellite events will happen all week long everywhere when the whole city is in party mode. It does not fail to dazzle every year. 2022 was the same!

Pro-Tip: Carnaval 2022 was managed at 75% capacity in keeping with the Mexican Covid Traffic Light System which put Mazatlan at code yellow. We have felt safe here because people stick to mask-wearing not only indoors but even outdoors! Temperature-monitoring and hand sanitizer stations were everywhere!

FOR THOSE ON MOBILE, SHARE BUTTONS APPEAR WHEN YOU CLICK WEB VERSION AT THE VERY END AFTER COMMENTS.

PREVIOUS POST

My 6 Favorite Stops from Arizona to the Mexican Pacific Coast