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
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