THE BIG PARADE

Last Sunday at last! The day when everyone wants to be in Patras, the day that no one wants to end!

Thousands of people, from different age groups, dressed up in fancy costumes swarm to the city center, leading to the meeting points where they are going to start joining the parade. Excitement and anticipation fill the air.And then it all begins! The exquisite floats open the parade impressing everyone with the creativity, imagination and the sense of humor of their creators. The Carnival Queen on her own magnificent float, dances smiling and waving to people who get really excited. The Carnival Groups follow, some of them having their own impressive floats. At the same time a national broadcast takes place so all people in Greece become part of the fun and the festive mood. The parade ends in the sweetest way; loads of chocolate bars are, in a way, “thrown” to our visitors from the last float.  It is real magic either joining the parade or just watching it. No one stands still; everybody dances to the rhythm of the carnival songs and music.

It is roughly estimated that nearly 30,000 people follow the Carnival King in 4-kilometer distance through the main streets of the city. Patras is celebrating and happy faces are what you see while looking around.