As La Paz prepares for its annual February Carnival local anticipation grows with the selecting of the carnival Queen and her royal court this Saturday.
Festivities will include a parade of candidates through the streets, plus local singers and dance groups, and the musical bands The Prisoners, Authentic La Paz, and No Pollution.
The theme for this year‘s carnival is "Las Muses de Alegria" or "The Muses of Joy". Attendees get the chance to vote for favourite candidates and the names of the Queen and her royal court are announced as the evening closes.
Becoming Carnival Queen or the King of Joy (Traditionally the title is "King of Fools") can be a big thing for a young person in La Paz. It is taken quite seriously by locals and competition is fierce. The job has its demands - it is not just about partying every night at the carnival. The Queen and her court also visit the jail, orphanage and old folks home to bring the spirit of Carnival to those that can't attend.
The carnival draws hundreds of thousands of people each year and will run from the 4th – 9th of February . A huge local event - don’t miss it if you are in the area.