Pego carnival moves indoors
CARNIVAL fever remains hot in Pego - even though the streets will be empty for another year on the Saturday before Lent – this time, through Zoom workshops and 'alternative' school uniforms.
Once the only carnival in the Marina Alta and still the biggest, even when other towns jumped on the bandwagon, the annual Pego ‘carnestoltes’ has only ever been called off twice in 40 years – just over a decade ago, because of bad weather, and in 2020, because of the pandemic.
This year will see it bite the dust a third time, although not behind closed doors: Residents are encouraged to adorn their balconies instead of donning crazy costumes and heading for the streets, and children dressed up to go to class last Monday.
They are asked to wear streamers, flowers, crowns, and odd socks, and over the next week, will take part in mask-making and face-painting classes.
Grown-ups can also join in
similar workshops over two Saturdays, February 13 and 20.
The first will teach them carnival-style make-up techniques, and the second will be on costumes and accessories normally worn during the pinyata, or ‘burial of the sardine’, held a week after the carnestoltes in non-Covid years.
Both of these will be given via Zoom, and participants
should book their place by phone or via the Pego youth service, InfoJove, on Instagram.
A competition will be held later for participants to show off what they created after the sessions, with winners chosen through a public vote – to be given €50 vouchers to spend in Pego’s shops.