By Chesney Hearst, Senior Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Approximately 74 official street parties known as blocos filled the streets of Rio de Janeiro on Saturday, March 1st and one famous bloco, Cordão da Bola Preta, drew a crowd of an estimated 1.3 million revelers in Rio’s Centro (Downtown). There the crowd also celebrated the city’s 449th birthday.
While many enjoyed the celebrations in Centro, there were also reports that the number of public toilets was insufficient for the sizable crowd. Improvised street tarps were reportedly used, with owners charging R$5 per use.
Elsewhere in the city, large crowds gathered for the blocos of Banda da Ipanema and Exalta Rei!, among others. While in the Sambódromo, samba schools paraded for the second night of the Group A competitions.
The blocos will continue on Sunday and the following should again help to make Sunday’s bloco schedule a little easier to understand with a list by location and time of some of the best of the day’s offerings in Zona Sul (South Zone):
Bangalafumenga
Time: 10AM
Location: Aterro do Flamengo near the Monumento dos Pracinhas
Laranjada Samba Clube
Time: 12PM
Location: Praça Jardim Laranjeiras
Que Merda é Essa?!
Time: 2:30 PM
Location: Rua Gárcia D’Ávila, Ipanema
Folia do Galo
Time: 3PM
Location:Rua Raul Pompéia, Copacabana
Fanfarani
Time: 4PM
Location: Praça Chaim Weizmann, Botafogo
Simpatia é Quase Amor
Time: 4PM
Location: Praça General Osório, Ipanema
Banda da Sá Ferreira
Time: 6PM
Location: Rua Sá Ferreira, Copacabana
For the full schedule of the weekend and more upcoming blocos by day, name and/or region see here.
Additionally, read more (in Portuguese).
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