Mazatlan Dazzles for Carnaval

Celebration Takes Place, Feb. 23 - 28, 2006

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. October 14, 2008

MAZATL'AN, Mexico, Janaury 19, 2006. Glittering costumes, exotic foods, dancing street musicians and colorful showers of confetti await revelers at the 2006 Carnaval Mazatl'an, Feb. 23 - 28, on Mexico's sunny Pacific Coast.

Carnaval Mazatl'an is the third largest Mardi Gras in the Americas after New Orleans and Rio de Janeiro. The annual fiesta takes place on the mile-long oceanfront promenade running along Olas Altas Beach downtown. Festivities celebrate Maz'atlan's rich history and vibrant culture with costumes, parades, music, food, fireworks, poetry readings, art exhibits, beauty pageants and more. The festival attracts 300,000 - 400,000 revelers annually from all of Mexico and abroad.

Carnaval is a nonstop celebration. One highlight is the crowning of La Reina de Carnaval, Queen of Carnaval, followed by concerts by major Latin artists. Costume parades feature tambora sinaloense bands and floats representing mythological figures, from Zeus to Aladdin. Performers pay tribute to Mazatl'an's deep-sea fishing tradition, donning costumes as dancing clams, sailfish and dolphins. Also part of the jubilation: poetry readings, art exhibits and an offshore fireworks display commemorating Mazatl'an's 1864 victory over the French Navy.

The "Carnavaldome" on Avenida del Mar, north of town, is the center of Carnaval street activity. There, revelers enjoy a continuous supply of food and entertainment in the form of all-night dancing and roving mariachi and rock bands. Distinctive Carnaval cuisine includes smoked marlin and mango shrimp, both famous in Mazatl'an, the shrimp capital of Mexico.

Carnaval dates back to 1823, when the first Spanish settlers arrived in Mazatl'an. People from other regions traveled to the coastal city by land and by sea to partake in the lavish celebrations. Men and women wearing colorful costumes with masks took possession of the city for a few days of festivities, bombarding each other with perfumed flour and eggshells filled with glitter. Later, the town fathers ruled only confetti could be thrown. The turn of the century saw the introduction of what have become Carnaval mainstays: parades, coronation of the Carnaval Queen, poetry, painting, music, dance and drink.

Often referred to as the Pearl of the Pacific, Mazatl'an, or "land of the deer," is located on Mexico's Pacific Coast in the foothills of the Sierra Madre mountains. As Mexico's second largest coastal city, Mazatl'an has nearly 600,000 inhabitants. The city is divided into two main areas: Old Mazatl'an, consisting of downtown and harbor area with historical attractions, and Zona Dorada or "Golden Zone," which runs seven miles along a coastal road. Mazatl'an has an international sports-fishing reputation. Sites of interest include: the historic 'Angela Peralta Theater, Archeological Museum, Republic Plaza, Ocean Museum, Botanic Garden, San Jose Chapel and the world's second-tallest lighthouse. Sites are accessible and have become symbols of the city. Visit Mazatl'an on the World Wide Web at www.gomazatl'an.com.