Blacks and Whites' Carnival
Carnaval de Negros y Blancos
A carnival on UNESCO's intangible heritage list. Float parades fill the city in early January, and people paint each other black and white to celebrate diversity and mixing.
The Carnival of Blacks and Whites traces its roots to colonial-era slave rest days and indigenous festivals. It runs for a week from January 2 each year. On the 3rd, a parade of floats takes place. On the 4th, the Castañeda family enters the city in a re-enactment. On the 5th, Día de Negritos (Day of the Little Blacks), everyone rubs black oil paint on one another. On the 6th, Día de Blanquitos (Day of the Little Whites), people throw white talc and foam. On the 7th, the Gran Desfile (Grand Parade) features giant floats. Local artisans spend months shaping the floats from paper pulp, and the spectacle is enormous. The main parade winds through the city centre along the Senda del Carnaval (Carnival Trail). The carnival was inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list in 2009. Accommodation is tight during the festival. Wear old clothes, bring goggles, and buy grandstand tickets in advance.
Opening hours
January 2–7 each year
Nearby sights
- Plaza de Nariño
- Church of San Juan Bautista
- Church of Cristo Rey
- Pasto Cathedral
- Church of La Merced
- Nariño Gold Museum
- Church of Santiago Apóstol
- Taminango Museum