Los Locos Came Out in Full Force

This Sunday, as the sun came up, the city silently expanded. El centro swelled and swelled with masked folk and spectators alike. This was the day of the Locos and the parade was about to begin. This festival is celebrated in San Miguel unlike anywhere else in the world. Streets shut down and entry to el centro was restricted. 

Groups of all sizes, known as “cuadros”, some decades and decades of years old, had rehearsed and prepared with themed costumes and masks. Everything from Beetlejuice to dinosaurs to clowns rampaged the streets, leaving no stone un-danced on. Large trucks, often with a dj and massive speakers blared music. As helpers bumbled around delivering drinks, those in costumes jumped and danced and threw candy. 

Had you been unlucky enough to try and cross the parade route, you’d have been met with booing after fighting your way through crowds of oriole, all vying to be in the front.

The excitement was palpable as candy rained from the sky, landing in upturned umbrellas. Indeed, people used them not only to shade from the sun, but as buckets to collect candy. The festivities ended in the Jardín Principal and most dispersed. Some brave souls were still seen dancing past 6pm on Zacateros!