(image source: www.taiwannews.com.tw)

The 2nd Carnaval Taipei festival this Saturday the 24th of February is set to once again chase the last bit of winter blues away and wake Taiwan up from its Chinese New Year hangover.

It's a bit of beautiful irony and synergy that Carnaval Taipei usually comes right at the end of Chinese New Year, as it complements New Year goodwill and is such a unique celebration in its own right.

This lively party, organized by Latinos Taiwan and ICRT, takes places at Taipei's Flora Expo Park and Maji Square and will officially run from 11AM -7PM, with the standard after parties till late night of course. Carnaval Taipei 2018 celebrates the rich Latin-American and Caribbean heritage in line with the rest of the world, and will be another explosion of exotic sound, color, dance and regional cuisine unfamiliar to most Taiwanese residents.

ACTIVITIES

The festival seems to grow bigger each year in its ambition and scope, and this year is no exception.The organizers have put together a comprehensive itinerary of free activities for the day for both old and young.Festivities are most notably divided into music, dance, parades, sports, arts & craft and of course authentic food that all work together to showcase the cultural best of Latin America and the Caribbean. Visitors can enjoy dancing and music from over 20 international and local groups. Try your hand, and of course your feet at popular dances such as Salsa, Bachata and Kizomba. Talented bands and solo performers will also play live salsa music, Latin Jazz and more.

For sports fans and players of all ages, the Mini Copa soccer tourney (event info here) is not to be missed either.

Latin dancing has become increasingly popular in Taiwan in recent years, with many schools and club nights opening up all over, and it's the perfect time to meet members of this community to add a bit of spice to your social calendar for 2018.

FOOD AND CRAFT MARKET

The Latino craft and food markets shouldn't be missed either. While the Latin community is still relatively small, their various food stall operators punch way above their weight class and there will be a smorgasbord of authentic cuisine and drinks on offer. Enjoy the mouthwatering taste from Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala , Paraguay , Belize, St. Lucia, Haiti, Mexico, Peru, Colombia, Argentina and more! Here's a list of the amazing vendors.

PARADE

The festival will finish off with its usual highlight, a lively Samba parade filled with gorgeous girls, exotic outfits and hypnotic drumbeats.

(source: taiwannews.com.tw)

CLUB AND BAR AFTERPARTY

For those looking to extend the festivities, there will be afterparties and activities at nearby Maji Square bars and clubs such as Triangle. Triangle's afterparty starts at 8 PM and runs till 4 PM. Entrance is 500NT with 2 drinks.

Get more info and book tables HERE.

Hope you have a blast at Carnaval Taipei 2018!

Official Website: https://www.latinostw.com/special-event

Event page: https://www.taiwannights.com/en/cities/taipei/events/2018-02-24/carnaval-taipei-2018-at-maji-square-taipei-2018-02-24