The Veracruz carnival will be delayed but will return as an in-person event this year, its chief organizer confirmed on Wednesday.

José Antonio Pérez Fraga said the festival, which normally takes place before Lent at the end of February in Veracruz city, would be rescheduled for July 1-5.

The organizing committee decided to move the dates due to a high incidence of COVID-19 cases in the city.

Pérez said this year’s event would be worth the wait. “The idea is to rescue the ancient traditions of the state which highlight the beauty of our ancient Veracruz. We seek to rescue all our pride and tradition organizing a very traditional carnival … one of the best carnivals in history,” he said.

The carnival was held online in 2021 due to the pandemic, its first cancellation in 96 years. The authorities estimated a loss of 250-300 million pesos (US $12.3-14.8 million) in earnings as a result.

The roots of Veracruz carnival extend back to colonial times and it was first held in 1866, according to the site Carnivaland.

Meanwhile, Mazatlán’s annual carnival is likely to go ahead at the end of February even if Sinaloa remains yellow on the coronavirus stoplight map. A decision is to be made Friday.

With reports from Milenio