Category Archives: Carnaval

Get to a Coronation!

Mazatlán is said to be the world’s third biggest Carnaval, spanning over a week of festivities. Each year we attend at least one of the four coronations. It’s so worth it! The pomp and circumstance, the dancing, the music. The performances involved in a coronation are comprised of hundreds of talented local young people and professionals, from visual artists, sculptors, costumers, stage designers, choreographers, musicians and dancers.

Each coronation of course involves the crowning of royalty, and it also pays homage to the sovereigns celebrating their 25-year (this year Alma Loaiza) and 50-year (Lupita Elorriaga) anniversaries. Plus, of course, there are fireworks. Click on any photo to enlarge it or view a slideshow.

This year’s Queen of the Floral Games is Uma I. She was crowned by the winner of the Poetry Ward, Sandra Lorenzano. In 20 years of coronations I have never seen a queen struggle as Uma did to ascend the steps to her throne. Her gorgeous gown, designed by Sodelva García and embroidered with laurel leaves, must have weighed a ton!

The coronation itself is preceded by entertainment by local dancers and musicians, and followed by a concert. Friday night’s concert theme was “Rock You,” headlined by Gloria Gaynor. At 79 years old she still belts out a tune, thanks, of course, to her back-up singers. She was impressive! The crowd sang along and danced at their seats. Héctor Ortiz and Quintero Britania were the warm-up acts. The audience ate it up, dancing and waving their lit cell phones.

You will need to purchase tickets to the coronations. There are seats on the field of the stadium, and cheaper seats in the stands. People tend to dress nicely, and a coat is recommended if it’s chilly or damp. Binoculars may also be worth taking.

Lighting the Angela Peralta on Fire!

One of the best musical, dance, and theatrical events of the year in Mazatlán occurs the weekend before Carnaval begins—the “Evening of the Arts.” The event makes the sold-out crowd that fills our historic Angela Peralta Theater beam with pride and delight at their good fortune to live here.

Saturday night February 11, 2023, talented Mazatlecos lit the stage of the Angela Peralta Theater on fire. In a program entitled “Pagan Love,” the night was directed by local legend, Maestro Enrique Patrón de Rueda—born, bred, and still residing right here in our port. The Maestro is Artistic Director of the Mexican National Opera Company, of the opera for the Mexico City Philharmonic, and of the Sinaloan Cultural Festival. Maestro Enrique was trained in the Mexican National Conservatory of Music, London Opera Center, the Royal Academy of Music, and Morley College. His conducting style is filled with passion and a heavy expression of emotion, as you can see in the photos below. Click on any photo to enlarge it or view a slideshow.

The Amor Pagano program united Mexico’s National Dance Company, founded in 1963 and the oldest in Mexico; Mazatlán’s Ballet Company, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary; Brújula Dynamic Flamenco from Michoacán; and the Camerata Mazatlán, founded in 2006.

The second Mazatlecan showcased Saturday night was Sarah Holcombe, beautiful and talented mezzosoprano, who sang the first half of the evening’s program: “Amor Brujo” by Manuel de Falla. Born here in our port, Sarah began her opera studies in our local School of Opera under another local legend, Maestra Martha Félix, in 2007. She further developed her skills in the Angela Peralta Chorus and the Gullermo Sarabia Chorus, demonstrating the high caliber of musical education available to local youth.

Director of our Municipal School of Classical Ballet, Maestra Zoila Fernández is Mazatleca by adoption and choice, though she was born and educated in Cuba. Maestra Zoila teaches students as young as seven years old in our local ballet school and sees many through to professional careers with internationally renowned companies throughout the Americas and Europe. She choreographed the program on Saturday night, including the first act’s Amor Brujo and the final act, Carmen by George Bizet. The flamenco portion of the evening’s dance was choreographed by Nashieli Buelna, another Sinaloan talent shining brightly this Evening of the Arts.

The four key dancers from the National Ballet who starred in Carmen were Ana Elisa Mena Chávez as Carmen; Argenis Montalvo as Don José; Roberto Rodríguez as Escamillo; and Martha Mariana Romero Iribe as Destiny. Their performances were breathtaking—incredible strength, flexibility and grace reminded the audience of the unbelievably perfect beauty of a healthy body. The dancers from our Mazatlán Ballet Company and the 43 talented musicians of our Camerata Mazatlán did an outstanding job, making for an incredible night.

The ostensible reason for this incredible night’s entertainment was to celebrate the winner of the Mazatlán Prize for Literature. This year the award went to David Toscana, from Monterey, for his powerful novel entitled, “The Weight of Living on Earth” (El Peso de Vivir en la Tierra).

Many of our resident foreigners and visiting international tourists love Mazatlán for its miles of beaches, her unbelievable sunsets, the warmth and joy of her people, and our wonderful seafood. Yet another reason to love Mazatlán is for the richness and affordability of her cultural arts scene. If you have not availed yourself of CULTURA’s offerings, you are definitely losing out!

Carnaval 2022

Above is a calendar I have assembled so you can print it out —
whether you are attending or avoiding the festivities.

So many of you have written in to ask me about the specifics of this year’s Carnaval. There are a few major changes from tradition, primarily due to COVID. The biggest is that Saturday night’s fireworks will NOT be in Olas Altas but will be launched from a dozen different locations around our bay—from Valentino’s in the north to Casa del Marino in the south. There will be quite a few barges launching fireworks to represent the French side of the battle. CULTURA has confirmed with me the 11 pm time, even though the newspapers and other outlets say 10 pm. Tradition is at 11 to give time for the queen to arrive from her coronation. The map CULTURA MZT gave me of the launch locations is below.

Map of fireworks launch locations

If you are wanting to watch the fireworks or one of the two parades, PLEASE NOTE that there are specific entry points to the malecón/oceanfront promenade. A map of those locations is below. NOTE that the first parade will go north PAST RAFAEL BUELNA (last minute change) to Gaviotas this year! Please also note that CULTURA is telling us that vaccination certificates will be required for entry. I can’t imagine that in practice with such huge crowds, but such is the official notice and you will be wise to take it along in case.

Map of access points for the two parades and the fireworks.

Secondly, the coronation of the King this year has moved to the baseball stadium; all the coronation events and concerts will be there. Remember that for the coronations you do need to purchase a ticket at CULTURA offices on Aleman street or at the Angela Peralta Theater ticket office.

Thirdly, the “fair” or carnival rides that normally are in the vacant lot by Sam’s Club have moved to Avenida de la Bahía, now officially called Avenida Quirino Ordaz Coppel, one block off the malecón in front of Parque Central.

Fourth, CULTURA tells me the Burning of Bad Humor will take place before Saturday’s fireworks, but they have not yet decided where exactly or what time. Thus, it is not included in my calendar.

Many of you have been complaining that this year it has been very hard to find locations and start times of events. Thus, I have confirmed and reconfirmed with CULTURA and made you a the calendar to print out, whether you want to be sure to enjoy the events or you want to stay as far away from the crowds as possible.

I’ve also received questions about the theme: “LANAO: The journey continues.” “Lanao,” to my knowledge, is a made-up word, a place of fantasy and magic. The theme thus far seems to be heavily reliant on steam punk, and involves inward journeys as well as those to fantastical places and outer space. It’s the most gorgeous and fun theme we’ve seen in a long time, so even if you’re staying away from crowds, get out and enjoy it! One way to do that is to walk or bicycle down the malecón and view the monigotes or giant statues. You can view a few photos I’ve taken of those statues by clicking here. Some of them are lit at night; so be sure to see them during daylight as well as at night.

Finally, I am offering a special edition Carnaval fantasy print for sale, “Stargazing Carnavalesco.” You can purchase it beautifully printed and mounted on marcocel (fiber board), 24 x 16 inches, for just 1000 pesos! Easy to pack in luggage as it has a hard coating and won’t mark easily. Alternatively, it can be giclée printed on archival paper, 18 x 12 inches, for 1800 pesos. Proceeds help me keep you as informed as I can and help me keep creating photographs. I appreciate your support if possible. WhatsApp +52-669-122-8962 for payment information and delivery.

“Stargazing Carnavalesco” is available printed and mounted for just 1000 pesos!
WhatsApp +52-669-122-8962 for payment information and delivery.

UPDATE 24 February: CULTURA has said that the Burning of Bad Humor will be at 10:30 pm on Saturday, just prior to the fireworks. They have not specified a location but if you are interested, it’ll be on the malecón and you can follow the bottle rockets.
Also they have scheduled a free street concert on Monday night with El Coyote. I’ve added this latter concert to the calendar.

Finally, I’m happy to say that the Mazatlán Tourism Board has called mine the “official” calendar, see email below.

Mazatlán Tourism Board’s link to our Carnaval calendar

Enjoy Carnaval, everyone and please, stay safe! And remember to purchase your special Carnaval print at a special price today! It helps me to continue sharing updates with you and taking the photos that gratefully so many of you love. Just WhatsApp me at 669-122-8962.

7 Tips So You Don’t Miss the Best of Carnaval de Mazatlán!

There are a couple of things to know about Carnaval de Mazatlán. First, Mazatlecos are born with Carnaval in their veins; it is part of their DNA. They can critique a Carnaval float like no one else, knowing exactly what makes it work or what it’s lacking. That is part of the reason why it is said to be the third largest in the world. Work and school pretty much come to a halt during the days of Carnaval; it is time to party before the reflective season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday.

Second, Carnaval here is a festival of the pueblo, the people. It is an intergenerational family affair. Despite what some outsiders might perceive, it is most definitely NOT a beauty contest, or at least not primarily. And it is not the festival of drunkenness and debauchery that you see elsewhere, though of course it there are people who make it that. The biggest pride for the people of Mazatlán this year is that the King of Carnaval is an ordinary guy from the barrio, a single father to two daughters, who  labors for a living and performs lots of community service work. They will go wild to see him dancing on top of his Carnaval float during the two parades this year. Carnaval includes more upscale activities like classical music concerts, awards for poetry, art and literature, but the beating heart of the week-long event is the mass revelry, where you’ll celebrate with grandparents and children, as well as teenagers and adults of all ages.

Carnaval Calendar
The official calendar of Carnaval events is above, though it is missing a couple of key events such as the Gastronomic Fair (below) and the Lunes de Mascaritas or “Masquerade Monday,” new this year in an attempt to revive an storied city Carnaval tradition. Below are my tips for making the most of your Carnaval experience, in chronological order for the week.

  1. Banda El Recodo’s 80th Anniversary Concert: This year we get an extra day of Carnaval, thanks to it being the 80th anniversary of our beloved, nine-time-Grammy-winning Banda El Recodo. People around the world are so very jealous of those of us who live here in Mazatlán, home to the first Mexican band to perform in Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, North and South America. They even have two stars on the walk of fame in Las Vegas. Greg went by their offices today to pick up our credentials for the concert (Wed. Feb. 27th in the stadium, doors open at 5 pm), and he was AMAZED how many people came by and waited at the door, explaining over the intercom that they had taught Poncho or known Joel when they were kids, asking for concert tickets or to talk with a star. Talk about super fans! It is wonderful to have home town heroes with international fame! The band gave out thousands and thousands of free tickets to this huge concert, which will include loads of other stars paying tribute to the Madre de las Bandas. If you have not joined in the excitement of this major event, you are missing out! You’ll see people dressed to the nines and others in jeans, boots, cowboy hats and rhinestones. Heck, just people watching will be a treat!80-Aniversario-de-la-Banda-El-Recodo-2
  2. The Coronation of the King (Thu. Feb. 28th in Sister Cities Park, starting at 8 pm) is always an exceptional concert and it’s always free! This year it will be headlined by another famous local son, Chuy Lizárraga! The coronation of the king has traditionally included much less pomp and circumstance than that of the queens, but it’s still a whole lot of fun—and much rowdier. You’ll most probably see some cool dancing, video effects and staging, as well as a killer fireworks show during the coronation, followed by a stellar concert. I highly recommend attending. Take a portable seat if you need one, and perhaps a cooler of beer, though no doubt there will be vendors galore. This concert attracts a huge crowd. The coronation tends to start on time or perhaps up to an hour late (which here can still be considered “on time,” with the new city administration it’s hard to know what will be different), but the headliner probably won’t play until 10 or 11 pm. Be sure to take a hat and jacket, as the park is right along the malecon, which can get cool and breezy at night. Dress will be casual. Wear closed-toe shoes as there will be a crowd.48391285_2419783844760448_4227020501060419584_o.jpg
  3. See a coronation—of one of the queens! You absolutely must. It will include a world-class concert, but also colorful, spirited dancing by local costumed children and professionals, impressive staging and media effects, and fireworks. My recommendation is that you attend the Coronation of the Queen of the Floral Games (Fri. Mar. 1st in the stadium at 8:30 pm) or Child Queen Coronation (Mon. Mar. 4th) are best, because it will leave your Saturday night free to catch the fireworks and burning of bad humor downtown. It is nearly impossible to see the Saturday coronation and get to Olas Altas in time to see the fireworks, due to the huge traffic jams during Carnaval (and the security line to get into the Carnaval zone). We have tried. The queen and the governor can do it, but they’ve got police escorts. The coronations require tickets, which are still available online at the Cultura Mazatlán site. Lots of people dress NICE for the coronations, and it’s fun to get into the spirit of the event. High heels tend to mean tough walking on the turf of the stadium, however. Be sure to take a jacket and hat, or even a blanket, as the stadium can get damp and cold depending on the day’s weather. You can take binoculars for a better view and, of course, your camera.P1250966©
  4. Saturday of Carnaval is my second-most-favorite night. I spent well over a decade in Japan, and consider myself a connoisseur of good fireworks. The traditional Combate Naval fireworks show (Sat. Mar. 2nd at 10:30 pm in the Olas Altas party zone) is super; I trust it will be this year. The event, however, is attended by 500,000 or more people in a cramped area of town, so be ready to be swept up in a human wave. Honestly, you can quite literally be swept off your feet and taken with the crowd, so be prepared. Besides the fireworks, I encourage you to show up early and walk along to watch the Burning of Bad Humor (Sat. Mar. 2nd at 8 pm at the Deer Statue in Olas Altas). This little-talked about event is a WHOLE lot of fun. It’s a traditional Mexican custom to burn a piñata loaded with a whole lot of firecrackers, an effigy, of some well-hated person from the previous year. If you’ve never seen it, you owe it to yourself to go. Just follow the fireworks (single-shot fireworks that denote a parade route) or wait at the Deer Statue. Rumor has it that this year they’ll burn EPN—Enrique Peña Nieto, Mexico’s last president. There won’t be an official announcement till the day before, and the burning is preceded with a poem that roasts the “effigy of honor.”Combate Naval Rosa
    Best bets to see the fireworks are:
    • At this point in time, if you don’t have a reservation (see below), I’d plan to arrive plenty early in Olas Altas on Saturday (maybe 5 or 6 pm) and find a seat on the malecón wall. Plan to hold on to it for dear life. You’ll have to take turns going to the bathroom or picking up refreshments in order to maintain your prime seating. We have done this several years and absolutely loved it. It is an “of the people” experience. There’s great conversation and revelry, and the views are the best ever. Remember there are often fireworks launched from the beach in front of you, and from at least two different barge locations in the bay.
    • My second recommendation to you, if you don’t have a reservation, is to reserve seats on a boat. There are loads of party boats that will head out into the bay to watch the fireworks. The best ones include live music, most will have bars, some have food as well.
    • It’s late, but you may get lucky enough even at this late date to get a reservation at an Olas Altas restaurant or bar. You will have to pay in advance to secure your reservation. Puerto Viejo often opens their roof, as does the Freeman, and all the places along the malecón will be full of people.
    • Get invited to a private party. We have had the pleasure of witnessing Combate Naval from some absolutely breathtaking locations thanks to the generosity of friends. I always say, I’m happy to share my photos of the fireworks in exchange for a great viewing location 😉
    • Make a reservation at one of the hotels in the area—the Belmar, La Siesta, Casa Lucila or Casa de Leyendas. For this year you are probably waaaay too late, but hey, it doesn’t hurt to get ready for Carnaval 2020! Wouldn’t it be wonderful to party on the balcony of your own hotel room?
  10. The Parade!!! The ABSOLUTE FAVORITE event of Carnaval for most mazatlecos, including us. The main parade is the first one (Sun. Mar. 3rd leaving the Fishermen’s Monument and heading north at 5:30 pm). The parade continues to Valentino’s, where it will turn on Rafael Buelna so that the royalty and others can get off the floats. The parade is comprised of quite a few different sections (current royalty, past year’s royalty, and 25 and 50 year commemorations), each of which includes dance troupes and live music, plus incredible floats. People will put chairs out on the malecón 2-4 days ahead of time, staying 24 hours a day to guard their space. Others rent a seat from one of the hotels along the route, or join friends on the pool deck or a balcony of one of the condo buildings along the route. The entire parade route becomes one huge party for several days ahead of the big day. Expect the parade to last until about 10:00 pm. You will need to plan to secure a good viewing spot, though you can crowd in and see it from the back of the pack, too. Bring a chair if you want to sit and don’t have one reserved. The parade is not as horribly crowded as the Combate Naval fireworks. There is a pre-parade that departs about 4:30, when commercial floats toss out lots of freebies to the crowd._DSC1596©
    If you want to see the floats in a more relaxed setting, go to the malecón north of the Sea Lion Statue on Tue. Mar. 5th anytime after about 1:00 pm and before 4:30 pm when the second parade starts. This is prime photo-op time as the dancers are getting ready, putting on their makeup, loosening their muscles, and the royalty will be boarding the floats. The second parade heads south from there to Olas Altas, so you have much more space along which to set your chair and enjoy the parade. This parade is not nearly as crowded as Sunday’s._DSC3428©
  11. The Muestra Gastronómica or Gastronomic Festival (Sun-Tue. Mar. 3rd through 5th from 1-7 pm in Sister Cities Park) is historically a free event, but this year will be a benefit for DIF (municipal family services), Sister Cities Park and The Lighthouse Nature Park. What I love about it is they’re converting it from an upscale affair in the Machado into a family-friendly event in the park! Over 20 local restaurants will participate, there will also be live music, games, face painting and bouncy houses for the kids. You may want to bring your costumes and Carnaval masks and attend the gastronomic fair on Monday, because afterwards the city is rescuing the beloved mazatlecan tradition of Lunes de Mascaritas or “Masquerade Monday,” where young people asked one another, Mascarita, me conoces? or “Masked one, do you know me?” Prizes include a motorcycle and other major goodies, so be sure to give it a shot!52151453_10214065139442926_5662494469413404672_n.jpg, free.
  12. Finally and most obviously, do not miss a night in the Party Zone in Olas Altas! Entrance to the  zone this year is supposed to be free. Normally it was a small fee, to make it accessible to everyone and yet not an even crazier free-for-all. There you will find loads of food and drink, stages with many different kinds of live music, from dusk till the wee hours of the morning. You can’t say you attended Carnaval de Mazatlán if you don’t dance in the street in the party zone at least once! It will be open Feb. 28th to Mar. 5th. I recommend you dress casual, avoid jewelry and don’t take a lot of cash; it’s safe and a great time, but there are pickpockets who come special from out of town, and it’s quite the crowd so easier pickings.P1100271©

Dúo de Amor

The Velada de las Artes last night, Saturday 19 February at 8 pm in the Angela Peralta Theater—entitled Dúo de Amor—was spectacular and left me with my mouth hanging open quite a few times.

The crowd was greeted in the lobby by the Guillermo Sarabia Chorus, waiters passing red wine, and a beautifully draped and chandeliered ceiling. Click on any photo to enlarge it or view a slideshow.

The chandeliers continued through to the theater and on the stage, making for a stunning effect. The first subject of the evening was to award the Mazatlán Literature Prize, one of the most prestigious awards given out during Carnaval. Prior recipients have included Ángeles Mastretta, Fernando del Paso, Octavio Paz, Francisco Hernández, my favorite, Elena Poniatowska and Carlos Fuentes.

2019’s awardee is Guillermo Fadanelli, who was recognized for his body of work—Lodo, Educar a los topos, Mis mujeres muertas, El hombre nacido en Danzig, and Hotel DF are a few of his best-known novels, and he also writes essays. Fadanelli’s works have been translated into six languages. José Ignacio Lizárraga, Ernesto Velázquez Briseño and Alejandro Páez Varela comprised this year’s panel of judges.

Fadanelli received the award from Óscar Blancarte Pimentel, Director of our Instituto de Cultura, Turismo y Arte de Mazatlán, as well as from our two 2019 queens, Karla II and Yamilé I.

For such a prestigious event in such a gorgeously historic venue, Fadanelli could have at least tucked in his shirt, or even pressed it. But Ithe crowd did enjoy his bright red shoes and Ivery much appreciated his remarks. “Culture is life, it’s an extensión of our thoughts, it’s the desire to be someone… language amplifies our imagination… words, language and writing help us better the world,” he remarked in accepting the prize.


After the award presentation we had a short break, so the sofas and podium on stage could be changed out to make room for the Camerata Mazatlán and part of the Orquesta Sinfónica Sinaloa de las Artes. The musicians did an incredible job. It was a night of love and passion, with arias from Die Fiedermaus, Turandot, l’amico Fritz, Andrea Chénier, A Masked Ball, Aida, Nabucco, and Madame Butterfly.


The highlight of the evening were the two international opera star headliners: soprano Elizabeth Blancke-Biggs, and tenor Dario Di Vietri. Kudos to the stage light professionals, as they did an excellent job. There were no costuming, props or backgrounds, but via the music, the incredible voices,  acting and lighting, the audience was transported to each opera and filled with the passion intended in each aria. The audience demanded, and got, two encores.

We all know how blessed we are to live in Mazatlán, where we can enjoy world-class cultural events in intimate spaces at affordable prices. Last night, however, was over the top. Where in the world can you enjoy a renowned symphony conductor encouraging the audience to sing along with the stars on stage? Or witness the two stars vamping an incredibly campy, passionate kiss, only to break out into heartfelt laughter that delights the soul? Or witness the conductor scold a queen for over-use of her cell phone, or joke about a percussionist’s mishap on stage? The only reminder of our small-town-ness were the frayed carpets and the dirty podium on stage. In the presence of such incredible artists, surely we can do better than that.


The theater was nearly full. Carnaval royalty from this year and last year atended, as did Papik Ramírez Bernal, Director General of the Instituto Sinaloense de Cultura, and Victoria Aída Tatto Prieto, State Director of Cultura.

Carnaval has officially begun, people. We have our royalty, we have our award winners. Now get ready to party!