With a rich program of events that will unfold on the streets of Patras throughout the day and until late at night, the carnival begins today, bringing joy and optimism.
The grand celebration promises to bring high emotions and many doses of joy in the biggest Carnival season for many years, which begins today and ends on Sunday 17 March with a big parade.
The theme of this year’s Patras Carnival, announced as “Δήμου Πατρέων – Καρναβάλι Πάτρας” (KEDIP), is: “Recharge your batteries, unplug from the ‘grid'” (most likely meaning “get off the internet and into real life”).
The Patras Carnival begins on Saturday with a parade and the music “Disconnect!” Morning activities include carnival parades to the rousing rhythm of percussion instruments. Acrobats and jugglers will perform and musical performances will take place. The main element of the carnival opening tradition will be an exposition at the city hall. At 12:00, to the music of the municipal orchestra, the carnival challenge banner will be solemnly handed over to the mayor of the city, Kostas Peletidis.
This is preceded by a procession in which the instrumental group “Ritmo Loco Street Band”, “X-Saltibagos”, carnival cyclists, clowns on stilts, and harlequins take part.
KEDIP President Hera Kouri and members of the board of directors, as well as the “Queen of the Patrina Carnival” Giorgia Sacca, members of the advisory committee, businesswoman Maria Aguridi, and volunteers will greet those gathered from the concert site.
The event will be decorated according to the established custom of the chocolate battle. The President of KEDIP and representatives of associations of chocolate lovers will organize “chocolate races”, “chocolate battles”, etc. “Chocolatiers” will pour sweets onto the heads of those present from the balcony of the city hall.
At 18:00, the party will begin in Georgiou Square, and two hours later, at 20:00, a theater troupe (Helix street theater) will leave the city hall with a baroque parade, “which is an action in the form of a night parade, especially impressive and appropriate spirit of carnival celebration.”
At 21:00 the mayor of Patras, Kostas Peletidis, will officially announce the opening ceremony, followed by the traditional custom of chocolate fights. The opening ceremony will also include a two-hour concert featuring Penny Baltaci, and will be hosted by amateur actors Vasso Kalokairinou and Alexandros Bistas.
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