We left the house today heading toward a major festival (see tomorrow’s post for details).  As soon as we were on the street we heard music and started walking towards it.  We had stumbled upon yet another small parade.  We hit these by accident throughout the year.  We have never been able to find a schedule for these ahead of time, and nobody we know has ever known about them until they suddenly show up on the street you are walking.  Judging from the very small crowds watching, it appears that nobody outside the local church knows either.

This particular one appeared to start at Iglesia la Merced — a church on Calle Larga a couple blocks from our condo.  This fit the pattern we have come to recognize as a Paseo de Niño Viajero parade.  Each parish (church) appears to have one of these on their saint’s day.  Once I am fully mobile again (I still limp pretty badly after only a mile or so of walking), I plan on checking out the churches better, and see if I can get their schedules.

These parades always involve the kids being dressed up in religious or colonial constumes… with the occasional Santa thrown in.

Most are riding horses, but some younger ones sit on a car roof.  Those even younger are carried in decorated strollers.

A few kids carry a plate of flower petals that they throw on the parade route.

Coming home later that night, the Iglesia Todos Santos (also a couple blocks from our condo) was lit up