Carnaval in Mazatlan: Mystery and Magic

by Lance Kramer

The third largest pre-Easter celebration, behind only Rio de Janeiro and New Orleans, Mazatlan’s Carnaval is a striking departure for this sunny, sleepy Mexican city. Sunny as in an average temperature of 82 degrees year round; sleepy as in cracked sidewalks with large, hand written signs depicting what international delicacies or digressions await in the small spaces that they front.

The six days of Carnaval leading up to Lent turn Mazatlan upside down. Serious fireworks light the night sky during two of the nights. The famous Caraval parade snakes and cavorts along the malecon, or boardwalk, during two more evenings. A King of Happiness, a sovereign Queen of the Carnaval, a Queen of the Flower Games and a Child Queen are crowned over five days, and glitter abounds. For all six days, vendors of every variety gather to woo revelers with colorful foods, drinks, adornments and games.

But the parades! The first one begins at sunset on the fourth day of Carnaval at the southern end of the malecon and is strange and wondrous to behold. Representing the parade sponsors, the first segment of the parade starts with nearly a dozen floats, vans and SUVs, highlighted by a float of a beautiful woman (truly a man) garbed only in colorful, long feathers and ribbons. After a 25 minute delay – one day let someone here define a “Mexican minute” for you – the real parade begins, led by two black, feral looking Federal Police cars.

Wait – I’m getting ahead of myself. Let me set the stage, so to speak, as the sunset turns to night. On either side of the parade route, chairs snuggle together and are 6 – 8 deep, occupied by families, friends, beer drinking gauchos and milk feeding senoritas. Most watchers are armed with handfuls of confetti, throwing as much on their neighbors as on paraders. In the street behind the haphazardly arranged snake of viewing spots, a large oval of balloons of multiple hues and shapes floats eerily off the ground, given away by the eventual emergence of a hooded woman ready to sell. Near her a smiling young boy wears a silk clown costume of many colors, a crown and sword of balloons, the next generation in the making. In a wheelbarrow, of all things, spices, candies and nuts brilliantly reflect the night lights and attract sweets seekers. This year’s theme, International Fantasy, reflects a bow to Carnaval celebrations around the world.

Back to the main event. Heads move and swivel as people, cars, trams and floats glide by and occasionally stop for periods of time awaiting the clearance of congestion ahead of them. Dancers of nearly every age dressed as cheerleaders, angels with wings, court jesters, ballerinas, Egyptian pharaohs, Nubian slaves on stilts, matrons in black and red – you name it, they’re there.

All in all, more than 40 floats with numerous types, ages and styles of parade queens comprise the main segment of the parade. Befitting its unique status as having been first brewed in Mazatlan, two Pacifico Beer floats intersperse themselves among the mélange, as male dancers with tight abs sway with moderately clothed beauties among oversized white cans of Pacifico Light on one, while bikinied lovelies with blue and orange wigs cavort on the other, touting Pacifico Clara. On another, a bronzed Aztec king statue arises majestically skyward behind mermaids, gold plated fish with huge teeth and beautiful, live queens rising from white and pink clamshells. Further behind, shimmery white birds with huge wings serve as an entourage for beautiful real queens in brilliant blue and purple spotted among waves of paper mache light blue water. A stunning white and red two storied float features numerous beautiful dancers with tall, exotic headdresses. Shiny blue and white butterflies swoop among lithesome young girls with multicolored wings of their own. And finally, white swans with huge wings extended serve to protect and reflect the incredible radiance of its riders.

And the women! Mazatlan resides in the Mexican state of Sinaloa, famous in Mexico for its beautiful women because so many local lovelies have won the “Miss Mexico” title. From the athletic Pacifico beauties to the golden queen of 25 years ago; from the exotic in headdresses, pearls and beads to the tiny dancers in white and purple tutus, their attractiveness dazzles, lifting Mazatlan’s Carnaval to unforgettable heights of loveliness.

Image picture credits: Lance Kramer