The colorful floats, costumed dancers and music of two parades will celebrate the Day of the Dead in Mexico City this year.

Now in its fourth year, the 2019 International Day of the Dead Parade will begin at 2:00pm on October 27 and feature 10 giant puppets, three allegorical floats and 24 hand-pushed floats.

This one, however, is not to be confused with the 2019 Grand Day of the Dead Parade, which will take place in the streets of the capital on November 2.

The first of the two parades will leave from the zócalo in Mexico City’s historic center, making its way west down 5 de Mayo and Benito Juárez as far as Paseo de la Reforma avenue, which it will follow to Chapultepec park. From there, it will turn north into Polanco, where it will end.

The parade will be divided into four thematic segments: Mictlán and Syncretism, Skeleton Carnival, Arts and Culture and The Party. All four segments link together in a narrative called “A gift of songs and flowers from Mexico to the world.”

The giant puppets were created by members of the arts collective Última Hora (Final Hour), which also made the ghoulish props used in the James Bond movie Spectre.

The parade will also feature a mobile altar created by the design group Neografika, which has worked with companies like Grupo Xcaret in the Mayan Riviera.

Last year’s parade brought two million people into the streets of Mexico City to celebrate, and an estimated 10 million watched it on television. This year’s procession will measure one kilometer from beginning to end and will cover about six kilometers on its route.

The Grand Day of the Dead Parade will begin at Paseo de la Reforma avenue and end at the zócalo. This year’s event will host a special delegation from China, which will present a ritual that is similar to Day of the Dead, as well as a traditional dragon dance.

Source: El Universal (sp)