Cape Town Carnival

water sprites!

The Cape Town Carnival Parade took place right at the foot of our neighborhood De Waterkant! How convenient. Once we managed to make it through the maze of closed streets and barricades (with a vehicle access permit and a little wrong-way-down-a-one-way-street action) to park our car near our apartment for the night that is. Then we were ready.

the parade route

The parade route began on Napier Street and proceeded on Somerset Street along the Fan Walk to the stadium. The Fan Walk was open for families from 4:00 on for games and face-painting, as well as souvenirs and snacks. The Parade started at 7:00 and then there was an after-party at the stadium starting at 9:00 pm.

Before the parade started, we stopped by to see the floats and puppets being assembled. It was literally down the hill from where we stay in Cape Town.

Getting a behind the scenes view before the big show was always such a fun part of the Thanksgiving Day Parade festivities back in ol' New York. Even when we couldn't make it to the parade itself on Thanksgiving morning, we always managed to check out the floats and balloons as they were being assembled and blown up the night before on the UWS.

posing with my girls before the parade

checking out the Joburg float up close

we stood at the start of the Carnival Parade. literally.

Liezel van der Westhuizen, mistress of ceremonies

it started with a bang and about 100 motorcyclists, skateboarders and trick bikers

This year's parade was dedicated to the brave firefighters who saved the Cape from the raging fires that swept the peninsula from coast to coast a couple of weeks ago.

a giant protea float

it opened and closed!

The theme of this year's Carnival was Elemental. So there were floats, dancers, puppets and bands which represented Earth, Water, Fire and Wind. 13 floats and seven puppets and countless dancers, marchers and musicians.

Mother Earth float made from recycled materials!

We loved this Knysna forest elephant puppet!

Here comes more water sprites!

Ulwandlekazi, the ocean float

close-up of the Giant Snoek puppet

10 metre long snoek puppet manned by Kalk Bay residents

I loved these solar-powered jellyfish puppets!

Ilanga - the African Sun float

Wildfire dragon puppet

Hot Hot firemen!

These guys deserve a calendar!

Not to be overshadowed by the hot oiled down firemen, these equally hot Indian belly dancers were very much appreciated by the men in the crowd around us! Their fiery performance honored Diwali, the Hindu festival of light.

an airship float

We didn't stay for the after-party. We left that for the younger and stronger. Instead we walked over to our favorite Mexican restaurant, San Julian, and had our own Carnival feast.

Happy Carnival, Cape Town!