This Sunday 23 February, drums beat as Sant Francesc streets come alive for Carnaval

carnaval-2019-1The Formentera Department of Culture announces the celebration this Sunday 23 February in Sant Francesc, of Carnaval. After an 11.00am roundup where parade walkers can congregate and sign up to take part in the day's fancy-dress contest, the procession will set out from Sa Senieta car park and tour the town’s main roads, helped along by the lively percussion of Bloco Colubraria.

The parade route begins on Avinguda del Pla del Rei before continuing down Carrer d'Eivissa and arriving at Plaça de la Constitució. From there, merrymakers will cheer the parade as participants make their way down Carrer de Jaume I, Carrer de Marc Ferrer and Carrer de Santa Maria before arriving back at Plaça de la Constitució.

Prizes
Winners of the fancy-dress contest will be eligible for cash prizes totalling €4,610. The following prizes will be handed out after lunch and dancing:

Adult individual First place €200 | Second place €150
Kids' individual First place €100 | Second place €60
Pairs First place €300 | Second place €200
Families First place €300 | Second place €200
Groups [3 to 10 individuals] First place €400 | Second place €250
Large groups [over 10 individuals] First place €500 | Second place €350
Floats [with vehicle] First place €950 | Second place €650

Party and dinner
As the parade comes to an end, DJs Blue and Javi Box will serve up musical entertainment for a fancy-dress contest. Then, at 2.00pm, members of the parent-teacher association and parents of year-six levels at Mestre Lluís Andreu primary school will host a lunch where those in festive garb eat free. Culture councillor Susana Labrador called the February festival “a great chance to see people in their most creative, and often quite political, digs, and having a great time”.

The coming week will see schoolchildren taking part in an array of parades. In Sant Francesc, Colegio Virgen Milagrosa will hold its 10.00am Carnaval procession on Thursday 20 February, with Mestre Lluís Andreu and Sant Ferran staging their own celebrations at the same time the next day. Then on Tuesday 25 February, pupils in La Mola will lead their own cortège at 12 noon.

Mask-making workshop and School of Music and Dance performance
On Tuesday 18 February, Sant Ferran’s library connection (the Punt de Lectura) will be the scene of a clinic on making Carnaval masks. On Wednesday 26 February the School of Music and Dance will hold its own student Carnaval celebration. Space is limited. For more information, contact the school at escolamusica@conselldeformentera.cat.


14 February 2020
Department of Communication
Consell de Formentera