2022 Dia de los Locos Parade
I heard the music first from our rooftop and it drew me to the parade. It was loco! So many participants in a unending list of costumes. They danced, they bounced, and they threw candy and prizes to the thousands of spectators. Each group had their own special theme which set them apart for the other groups. I can't wait for next year.
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This wild and woolly festival is pure San Miguel. It happens no place else in Mexico in this form. It always takes place on the Sunday closest to June 13 since it is related to St. Anthony. Though the flamboyant procession rocks through town to the (very loud) beat of amped-up music, and the costumes and masks of politicians, actors, cartoon characters and monsters would seem to be totally secular, this complex festival has deep religious roots.
San Antonio is, among other things, the saint you beseech to find anything lost, from a wristwatch to a dog to a lover. Today’s festivities are all about giving thanks for having found them. As they shimmy, shake and stamp their feet aboard their truckbed floats and throw fistfuls of candy at the crowds like Mardi Gras revelers, the participants are actually taking part in a rather profound religious celebration.
The day begins with a mass at the San Antonio church, where a tent is set up in the plaza to handle the crowds. From there the string of marchers, floats and dancers heads to the centro, tossing several hundred kilos of candy at the crowd along the way. It has the distinct feel of Carnaval or Mardi Gras. Crowds are dense so if you make your way to the center, don’t expect to get out again until the parade is well and truly over. For many, this the favorite June event in San Miguel de Allende