‘History is returning here again.’ The carnavaleros will strut their stuff in South Philly this year
Neither the pandemic nor Trump-era increase in ICE deportations had what it takes to permanently shut down the celebration that one of its founders calls “a way of living.”
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/pmn/SHE5UK2OWVB5RFFGHFDHCVF6JE.jpg)
The weekend before Cinco de Mayo has been unusually quiet for the past three years in South Philly. But this Sunday, the music, the costumes, the crowds, and the celebration are all finally coming back.
On April 30, Philadelphia’s Mexican community will hold its signature Carnaval de Puebla, a celebration of Mexican history and culture filled with dancing, food, and cultural performances. This is the first Carnaval since 2019 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thousands of celebrants, or “carnavaleros,” will first gather at 9 a.m. at 2300 Croskey St. between 22nd and 23rd Streets. Then at 12:30 p.m., a parade will begin, marching north from 22nd Street up to Washington Avenue. It will procede east to Sacks Playground, where the celebration continues with live music and food until 6 p.m.
» READ MORE: El Carnaval de Puebla, a celebration of Mexican culture, returns to Philly this Sunday
“The history is returning here again,” said Edgar Ramirez, one of the event’s founders and committee members. To him and those coming to South Philly from other cities and states, the Carnaval is more than just a singular day on the calendar. “It’s a way of living,” he said.
“It’s something that you can say is even genetic.”
David Piña, the president of the event organization, said Philly’s Carnaval is the biggest celebration on the East Coast, and that people journey from other cities and states to be there for it, including two performing bands from Mexico.
“I’m very happy to see this event [become] bigger and bigger every year,” he said.
This last stretch of years without the Carnaval is not the first time that the event was canceled in Philadelphia. The organizers decided not to hold the Carnaval de Puebla in 2017 after a steep increase in raids, deportations, and arrests by immigration officers under the Trump administration.
“A lot of people [were] very sad,” Piña said, noting that people have been checking in with him about this year’s event. But now that things feel a bit safer, reconnecting with Carnaval and one another is their priority. “We feel part of this country, but we don’t want to leave our traditions, our culture [behind],” he said.
While Mexican Carnaval is celebrated slightly differently throughout Mexico and the United States, Philly’s version is modeled after the uniquely celebrated carnavales of Huejotzingo and San Mateo Ozolco, two Mexican cities in the state of Puebla. They include a reenactment of the battle in Puebla where the Mexican army ran off invading French forces in 1862, as well as other significant moments from Mexican history, like the country’s first Christian wedding, which took place in the 1500s.
Those participating in the reenactments and other events of the day dress up in colorful, ornate costumes and masks that some liken to the Mummers Parade.
“I’m the happiest guy in the world,” Piña said about seeing people coming together to celebrate every year. “We love this tradition. We love the music, we love our culture.”
“We want to show our children, to [not] forget ... our culture from Mexico, our traditions from there. So when I see a lot of little guys dancing on the parade, wearing costumes — wow. Wow. It’s amazing. And trust me, sometimes they make me cry.”