Spend a couple of hours on the Malecon late Sat. afternoon, and it was lots of fun. Drove in the back way with no traffic about 4 and found a parking place easily. Lots of people but not wall to wall yet. The battle of the bands was on with one large band of 15 in black sequined jackets, white shirts and sequined jeans, trombones, clarinets, french horns, trumpets, drums and of course a tuba with 3 singers all amplified battling a much smaller group dressed in white shirts and jeans. The guys in white would start a piece, then the guys in black would start and blast them away. A great time, lots of happy people dancing.
The little, relatively new, Oxxo there on the Malecon was jammin. The security guard was locking the door when the place was full of people and then opening to let a few out and a few in. Beer, chips, soda and ice cream. There was a crowd waiting all the time I was there.
The street vendors were still present with the little kids darting in and among the visitors. Not selling chiclets, but each carrying a plastic bag collecting aluminum cans !! Filled bags were stacked around the vans with the signs on the sides.
Food street vendors were restricted to the first street up from the Malecon and there was a ton of them there from the Thrifty Ice Cream Store all the way to the plaza on both sides of the street.
Candy Cake next to Marys was open and had a pretty good stream of people in and out. Mary's always does well. Lots of mangled straw sombreros in evidence !
It's really a great event and you can avoid the crazy crowds and have a great time, so see you next year, or if you are here now on the Malecon this afternoon.
