Carnavál de Mazatlán is such a major community event. I love how it brings people together. And not just from Mazatlán and the surrounding communities, but it brings in people from all over Mexico (this year we met a great 80-piece band from Puebla, for example) and Latin America (the visiting queens).
The best-kept secret of Carnavál, however, is the PRE-parade, just prior to the second parade. That’s when all the dancers, royalty and performers have already paraded once. They have had their coronations, things are winding down. They are relaxed, happy. They know what they’re doing, they know what to expect.
And, they are lined up along the malecón, getting dressed, putting on makeup, eating something to tide them over for the next few hours of dancing. They are laughing and talking, relaxing, and posing for the tourists. It has honestly become one of my absolute favorite Carnavál activities, though of course I have lots of “favorites” this time of year!
Below is a video I put together tonight, highlighting some of what happened during pre-parade today. I hope you will get a taste of why I love the pre-parade. Thanks for viewing!
¡VidaMaz! 
You did a great job on this! Thanks for putting it together. Viki
So glad you liked it, Viki. Thanks for letting me know! We are truly blessed to have our annual Carnaval in Mazatlán each year. Love this event.
So very nice. Looked a little cool that day, but the smiles are warm.
Yes, Tom, it was perfect weather leading up to Carnavál, but pretty windy and thus cool during the event itself this year. It actually rained a couple of times. You can see the Fat Tuesday sky was overcast. Of course, "cool" here still means the tourists wore shorts!
Love this video! Thank you, Diane!
Thanks, Komara. It is a great behind-the-scenes event. It never ceases to amaze me how much of a family and community event that Carnavál de Mazatlán is. Most all those dancers, acrobats, gymnasts, stilt walkers, bands, singers, costumers, float makers, beauty queens, beef cakes… local talent. We are a small city with a whole lot of big talent.
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