Carnival in Aruba

Last year I visited Aruba and we had the incredible fortune to be there the week of Carnival.  Thanks to the very windy beach conditions, I was able to pry my husband off the beach to check it out.  And I am sooo glad we did!  We had an absolute blast and what an incredible visual feast!  Everyone was having the time of their life and the joy was contagious! One parade participant even pulled off her hat to place it on me, so I guess I was an honorary member for 2 minutes!!

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Carnival is a celebration leading into Lent that bonds the community together.  As you can see elaborate costumes, which most often have sponsors, are the norm.  Everything is over the top, fantastical, and all out incredible!  This is a culture that knows how to come together to celebrate and be a display of joy.  There is music along the entire parade route, which lasts for hours.  Sometimes live, sometimes played through sound systems.  Music, dancing, laughing, drinking and singing are on display for hours.  We danced right along for hours as the parade (not like any parade I’ve ever seen before!) progressed in front of us.  A kind local befriended us and gave us all the insider tips to get the most out of the experience.  If this just isn’t enough for you, or you are searching for yourself in this massive coverage, click here to see more! 

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I have never seen a group of people so absolutely delighted to be photographed!  I literally danced myself right into the parade in between each group and let them pass right by me–the energy was electric!  The day was hot and yet as you can see these parade walkers were donned in heavy elaborate costumes and often in high heels!

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This is a giant blog, as I photographed for hours and would love for the people of Aruba to have a chance to see themselves in this!  When we arrived, the parade had already been going on for some time and then by 3/4 of the way through I had to take a break as I was almost out of battery! I knew I wanted to get some night time coverage.  I had not anticipated I’d be photographed for hours straight!  Lesson learned! For those who are as obsessed as I was while photographing…there’s more!  Here’s a link to a blog with about 250 more photos from the parade!