Burial of the Sardine and Piñata Weekend: Children's Carnival Parade, Daytime Carnival, 50th Parade of Vintage Cars in Santa Cruz

The sardine on the way to its funeral 6 March 2019

Burial of the Sardine

What more can be said about the Burial of the Sardine, which this year takes place on Wednesday 26 February 2020. It has already been described as blasphemous, rude, pornographic. All true. Surreal is applicable, but even if you put these all together and times whatever level of weirdness you imagined by a thousand, you'd still come nowhere near. And yet it was as safe, friendly and accessible as any other night at carnival (and a whole lot more so than any average Saturday night in a British town.)

(Right) just a few regular guys on 'boys night out' at the Burial of the Sardine in Santa Cruz.

Oh and you'll encounter people with seriously and hilariously impaired judgement. I've no idea what they were on, but impaired enough to come up to this dodgy character (left), request photos with him like he was some sort of tourist attraction and ask "¿Es de verdad?" (Is he for real?) I kid you not. No boys and girls, this 'nun' is my husband in a cheap ebay fancy dress. It did add to my amusement for the night. 

We were able to catch up with my friend Lee de Caires, better known by most for ¡Qué Gran Viaje! - see video below - but alas I didn't stay for the sardine's cremation as I had nasty flu. 

At least that gives me a good excuse to go back another year, doesn't it? 



Entierro de la Sardina 2019

More coverage from Mírame TV Canarias and in this video from about 2 hours 30 minutes in, you can see the sardine arrive at the Plaza de España, the fireworks and it's cremation. Oh and the setting up for the cremation and a worried looking fireman.

• El Carnaval de S/C de Tenerife llora a su Sardina
• Entierro de la Sardina | Carnaval de S/C de Tenerife 2019
• More photos from the Burial of the Sardine 2019

A day off on Thursday and, on Friday, the final, Piñata Weekend of carnival begins.

Coso Infantil 2019

Coso Infantil (Kids' Carnival Parade)

This year the Coso Infantil (Kids' Carnival Parade) takes place on Friday 28 February 2020 from 6 pm. The procession leaves from the Parque García Sanabria and the route takes it along the streets of Pilar, Villalba Hervás and La Marina.

If you just want to dip your toe into carnival waters and are not quite ready for the big parades or hedonistic all-nighters, or you have kids yourself, then this is the parade for you. See all of the junior carnival queens and a plethora of the small people in the cutest costumes. The Children's Parade opens the final, piñata weekend of carnival.

More photos from the Children's Carnival Parade in 2019

Orishas at Daytime Carnival Saturday 9 March 2019

Carnaval de Día (Daytime Carnival)

The second Carnaval de Día (Daytime Carnival) takes place on Saturday 29 February 2020. This is the bigger of the two, with bigger names in the lineup of artists. Last year's event with Orishas and Juan Luis Guerra broke all carnival attendance records.



Orishas and Juan Luis Guerra at Daytime Carnival in 2019

Parade of Vintage Cars celebrates its 50th Anniversary

Parade of Vintage Cars

Once more, coinciding with the final Sunday of carnival, on 1 March 2020, the Vintage Car Club of Tenerife has organised its Parade of Vintage Cars, which celebrates its fiftieth anniversary this year, with the participation of some authentic jewels.

This year there is a change of route: the cars will meet, from 10:00 am, as usual in the García Sanabria Park, with entrance through Méndez Núñez Street. The departure is scheduled at 12:00 hours through the same entrance, to go along Doctor José Navieras street, Rambla de Santa Cruz to the crossing of the Comandancia de Marina, go up to the roundabout of Las Asunciones, go down San Street Sebastián to La Salle, cross the Galcerán bridge, go through Weyler and Méndez Núñez squares to Las Flores clock, go down El Pilar street, Villalba Hervás and La Marina to Francisco La Roche avenue, pass through the Cabildo, Correos and Casino de Tenerife and end up parking on that avenue. The events will end with lunch at the Real Casino de Tenerife.

Images from the Domingo de Piñata 2019

More details of the Program for Carnival in Santa Cruz de Tenerife 2020

Many Santa Cruz carnival events are televised via RTVE or RTVC, locally, nationally and internationally or may be found on the CarnavalTVC Youtube channel.