Carnival Street Parties

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2012 RIO CARNIVAL

Street Band particpantCarnival street parties are the best Carnival has to offer, with people freely drinking, partying and dancing away.

In whatever neighborhood you are, there will be a bloco or a banda to engage and have fun.

By far the oldest, most widely enjoyed and, of course, cheapest form of Carnival revelry. The coming together of people, coming from the fun, loving carioca soul – some in elaborate costumes, some not – to dance, parade and party through the streets. Every neighborhood in Rio has its own form of Carnival in the street. This is how it works: participants gather at some well known spot (such as a square or a bar). After a certain time of concentration, the band starts marching its away down the streets. The show performed by drag queens is a “must see”!

There are some traditional street bands as: Banda de Ipanema (The Band of Ipanema), Monobloco, Simpatia é Quase Amor (Affection is almost love), Banda da Sá Ferreira (Sá Ferreira Street Band), Banda da Santa Clara (Santa Clara Street Band), Cordão do Bola Preta (Black Spot “Cordão”), Bloco Suvaco de Cristo (Christ´s Underarm), etc.

They are an absolutely essential part of Carnival in Rio. Street bands moving through the streets and all people joining in, drinking and dancing away. All you have to do is to turn up and join in; you can also buy the respective T-shirt and start already dancing before the group even takes to the streets.

We recommend you to join a few ones in downtown Rio - starting at Av. Rio Branco - and to the The Band of Ipanema - we have hand-picked for you the most well-known ones.

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The biggest ones take place in Av. Rio Branco, Downtown (Centro). From Saturday to Tuesday you can see the greatest variety of street bands there, and it is where the merry-making is at its wildest. A visit at the end of the afternoon is always entertaining.

Street Band particpantThe most famous Carnival bands are
· Cordão do Bola Preta is one of the most traditional bands parading downtown
· The Street Band of Ipanema (Banda de Ipanema) goes out on three separate days in Ipanema, followed by a huge crowd with lots of gay revelers
· Suvaco do Cristo parades in the Botanic Garden District, right below the Redeemer's arm. The name translates into "Christ's armpit" in English, and was chosen for that very reason
· Carmelitas was supposedly created by nuns but in fact it is just an allegory of the band. It parades in the hills of Santa Teresa

We are listing here a selection of the best Carnival Street Bands
ZONA SUL

Simpatia é Quase Amor
City District: IPANEMA
Parade: One Saturday before Carnival and Carnival Sunday 5 PM
Route: Teixeira de Mello and Vieira Souto - Posto 10 (Country Club)

Imprensa Que Eu Gamo
City District: LARANJEIRAS
Parade: two Saturdays before Carnival 4 PM
Route: Mercadinho São José das Artes, Rua Gago Coutinho

Banda de Ipanema
City District: IPANEMA
Parade: both Saturdays before Carnival and Shrove Carnival 5 PM
Route: Praça General Osório, Ipanema Beach, Leblon

Street Band particpantMonobloco
City District: COPACABANA
Parade Sunday after Carnival 9 AM
Route: along Av. Atlantica

Rancho Flor do Sereno
City District: COPACABANA
Parade: Carnival Monday 6 PM
Meeting: Bar Bip-Bip, Rua Almirante Gonçalves 50
Route: Av. Atlântica, along the beach

Suvaco do Cristo
City District: JARDIM BOTÂNICO
Parade: Sunday before Carnival 1 PM
Meeting: from noon onwards at Bar Jóia (on the corner of Rua Jardim Botânico and Rua Faro)
Route: Rua Jardim Botânico, Praça Santos Dummont, in front of the Jockey Club

Bloco Que Merda é Essa?!
City District: IPANEMA
Parade: Carnival Sunday 2 PM
Meeting: corner of Rua Garcia d'Ávila and Nascimento Silva
Route: Garcia d'Ávila, Vieira Souto to Arpoador

Bip-Bip
City District: COPACABANA
Parade: Carnival Saturday at midnight
Meeting: Bar Bip-Bip, Rua Almirante Gonçalves 50

Esse é o Bom, mas ninguém sabe
City District: COSME VELHO
Parade: Wednesday before Carnival 6:30 PM
Meeting: Quadra dos Guararapes, Ladeira dos Guararapes

SANTA TERESA / DOWNTOWN

Street Band particpantCéu na Terra
City District: SANTA TERESA
Parade: Carnival Monday 4 PM
Meeting: Rua Dias de Barros, in front of the Bar do Serginho

Bloco das Carmelitas
City District: SANTA TERESA
Parade: Friday before Carnival 6 PM and Tuesday after Carnival 5 PM
Meeting place: on the corner of Dias de Barros and Ladeira de Santa Teresa
Route: Dias de Barros, Alte. Alexandrino and Largo do Guimarães

Escravos da Mauá
City District: DOWNTOWN - Praça Mauá
Parade: Thursday before Carnival 7 PM
Meeting place: Largo de S. Francisco da Prainha, close to Rua Sacadura Cabral
Route: Rua Sacadura Cabral, Praça Mauá, Av. Rio Branco, Rua Mayrink Veiga to Largo de Santa Rita, Rua do Acre, and back to Praça Mauá.

Cordão do Bola Preta
City District: DOWNTOWN - (Cinelândia)
Parade: Carnival Saturday 4 PM
Meeting place: Rua Sacadura Crabral, 373
Route: Rua Araújo Porto Alegre, Rua México, Praça Melvin Jones, Av. Nilo Peçanha and Largo da Carioca

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