10 Best Block Parties to Spice Up Your Rio Carnival
Article by: Angela del Sol|@AngelaDelSolThu February 12, 2015 | 00:00 AM
Rio Carnival is one of the world's most famous carnivals, attracting millions of Brazilians and tourists alike to the aptly named “Marvelous City.” The famous week-long pre-Lent celebrations officially kick off this Friday, February 13th at the Sambódromo, where the twelve official Samba schools of Brazil will compete for a huge prize.
But this spectacular convergence of world-class dancers and artists isn't the only way to enjoy Carnival. There are over 450 colorful block parties and street parades happening everywhere around the city, and best of all? They're completely free. Each one of these blocos has its own unique personality – some derive their themes from legends and folklore, while others are more out of the box. Together they all represent the culturally rich history of Brazil, and express it all through the act of partying 24/7.
Some of them happen early in the day, and some may overlap withone another, but the good news is that every neighborhood you visit, you'll stumble upon a party – especially in the Zona Sul and Zona Norte neighborhoods of Rio. Here are 10 noteworthy blocos you should check out during the most debaucherous week of the year!
Carmelitas
When: February 13 at 3 pm, local time
Where: Santa Teresa
The legend behind this bloco is that it all begun when a nun jumped out the window of her convent, Carmelitas in Santa Teresa, to join the carnival festivities! Two parties take place in Santa Teresa: one at the beginning of the carnival to represent when the nun made the jump, and the other at the end of the carnival to represent the nun's opportunity to return back to the convent without any punishment. Here, attendees dress up as nuns to “hide” the escaped nun. This is considered one of the most charming blocos of the carnival.
Bola Preta
When: February 14th at 9 am
Where: Rua Primeiro de Março
This is one of the most oldest blocos in Rio – it sees more than 2 million people gather for its parade, making it one of the biggest in the entire world! This specific bloco has animated the streets of Rio for over a hundred years – so you know you're in for something good.
Simpatia é Quase Amor
When: February 15th at 3 pm
Where: Ipanema
Simpatia é quase amor. That translates into "friendship is almost love," and is the name of yet another famous bloco. Simpatia attracts around 20,000 people and takes place on the stunning beaches of Ipanema. Really, how could you say no? This bloco requires you to bring your costume A-game and to be ready to Samba until your feet fall off.
Prata Preta
When: February 15th at 8 am
Where: Largo Dos Guimaraes in Santa Teresa
Prata Preta was born to commemorate Horacio José da Silva, a famous capoeira artist and revolutionary from the 1900s. He is considered a symbol of the struggle against the government – so much so that his bravery inspired a group of carnavaleros to throw a bloco in his honor. Bloco attendees wear creative costumes that mock the military regimes of Brazil and proceed to dance in the name of peace and justice in the streets.
Boitatá
When: February 15th at 9 am
Where: Praça XV
Boitata is another one of the oldest – but no less colorful – street parades, with over 40,000 people making up the boisterous crowd. Just take a look for yourself in the video above.
Boi Tolo
When: February 16th
Where: Praça XV
Boi Tolo begun when Boitatá Bloco changed the date of its own parade last minute, leaving hundreds of party-goers all glittered up and nowhere to go. So, of course, they improvised their own festa! Since then, musicians from different orchestras come together in a very organic manner and take to the streets without a route – they just go with the flow. The party is known for its anarchic personality; there is no director or president, and everyone contributes something different. If you are a musician, bring your own instrument and jam out at this lively bloco, which is known for its inclusiveness.
Sargento Pimenta
When: February 16th at 3 pm
Where: Flamengo
As Carnival continues to grow every year, it also continues to diversify. No bloco has deviated as far from the norm more than Sargento Pimento. Inspired by the famous Beatles song "Sgt. Pepper's LonelyHearts Club Band," younger partiers infuse a contemporary flavor with rock n' roll jams, confetti and group sing-alongs to the hits of the iconic British foursome.
Orquestra Voadora
When: February 17th
Where: Aterro do Flamengo
The band Orquestra Voadora plays one of the most popular blocos of Carnival, and is known for havinga distinctly modern take on Carnival music. How? By mixing the rhythms of rock, funk, pop and jazz with the traditional frevo, maracatu and samba sounds.
Banda de Ipanema
When: February 17th at 5:30 pm
Where: Ipanema
Banda de Ipanema is famous for proudly representing the LGBT community in Brazil with the most eccentric and colorful parades of Carnival. Prepare yourself with tons glitter and your most fabulous costume, and get ready to dance to the best electronic music you'll hear all week.
Viemos de Egypto
When: February 18th
Where: Hellenic Club in Long River
Come and party with the most artsy kids in town. This bloco is inspired by the mysticism of ancient Egypt – you'll see many pharaohs and Egyptian deities dancing and mingling to exotic music as if they'd teleported in from 3,000 B.C. From technobrega, samba-reggae, pagoda and contemporary Egyptian EDM and Arabic sounds, this is one parties you should definitely not miss.
To help you plan your long weekend of partying, check out this interactive map of blocos, as well as a mobile app that will surely come handy as you bloco-hop around Rio. And for other important info regarding carnival, click here.
If you have any energy left in you and want to take a break from all the samba here are some tips on other things to do while you are in Rio!