Ecuador Events and Festivals

2/21/2009 - 2/24/2009Carnival

Carnival (Mardi Gras) is a popular celebration, widely encountered in many parts of Ecuador and certainly in the capital, Quito. The "Festejos de Carnaval" includes traditional parades, music, dancing and art and cultural events involving children, but have been overtaken in recent years by the boisterous activity called "juegan carnaval". A veritable war of water bombs and, to a lesser extent flour and talc bombs, erupts in the streets with missiles flung from balconies, passing trucks and all quarters on the ground. Different neighbourhoods compete in games which are better watched from a distance. Fines have been introduced to curb the greater excesses, but consider protective clothing if getting up close