Carnaval de Ponce

Ponce traces its carnival to the middle of the eighteenth century, though the documented record begins in 1858; either way it is among the oldest continuously celebrated in the Americas, and it runs for the week before Lent. The vejigantes are the centre of it: figures in many-horned papier-mâché masks and loose bat-winged suits who fill the streets, once striking onlookers with an inflated bladder and now mostly menacing children for effect. A queen is crowned, floats and comparsas parade through the plaza, and the closing act is the Entierro de la Sardina, the burial of a sardine, a mock funeral procession marking the end of feasting before Lent begins.

History

The carnival is documented from 1858 and began as a masked dance started by a Spaniard, José de la Guardia; the municipal government added the parade only in the 1950s. In June 1995 more than 200 performers, folk artists and musicians from Ponce took it to New York's Puerto Rican Day Parade on Fifth Avenue (Wikipedia, Carnaval de Ponce).

What you'll find

• The vejigantes - horned masks and winged suits filling the streets.
• The parades - floats and comparsas around Plaza Las Delicias.
• The burial of the sardine - the mock funeral that closes carnival.
• The mask workshops - families making the masks in the weeks before.

When to go

The week before Ash Wednesday, so the dates move with Easter and usually fall in February. The final weekend is the biggest. Accommodation in Ponce books out and prices rise; many visitors stay elsewhere and drive in.

Before you go

It is crowded, loud and goes on late, and the streets around the plaza are dense enough to make moving with small children difficult. Parking is impossible near the centre. Ponce has limited accommodation, so book far ahead or accept a drive. Rain can flatten a parade day.

Nearby

Ponce's museums and Castillo Serrallés are in the city; Loíza's July festival is the other great mask event.

Key facts