With a rich program of events, which will unfold in the streets of Patras throughout the day until late at night, the patrnal carnival begins today, conveying messages of joy, optimism and rebirth.

The great celebration of Patras promises to offer strong emotions and many doses of joy in the biggest carnival season for many years, which starts today and will end on Sunday, March 17, with the big parade.

This year’s theme of the Patras carnival, as announced by the “public benefit enterprise of the Municipality of Patras – Carnival of Patras”, (KEDIP), is “What if they “grind us”? Our dreams continue to lift us up. Be Unplugged! Well”.

The morning activities will include carnival processions with a frenzy to the rhythm of percussion, acrobatics – juggling, music and dances, while the centerpiece will be the tradition of the carnival banner at the town hall.

In particular, at 12:00 noon, the banner of the patreon carnival will be handed over to the mayor of Patreon, Kostas Peletidis, under the carnival peanisms of the municipal music.

The procession will have preceded, in which the percussion group “Ritmo Loco Street Band”, the “X-Saltibagos”, the carnival bicycles, the president of KEDIP, Hera Kouri and the members of the Board of Directors, the queen of of the father’s carnival, Georgia Sakka, members of the advisory and jury committee, volunteers, the auctioneer Maria Agouridis with the musical float and the rest of the participants and carnivalists.

The event will be sealed by the established custom of the chocolate war by the mayor, the president of KEDIP and the representatives of the associations of chocolate lovers, “Chocolate lovers”, “Chocolate races”, “Chocolate maniacs”, “Chocolate battles”, “Chocolate players” offering their own sweets touch with their chocolate sprinkles from the balcony of the town hall.

After the handover of the carnival flag, the percussion group “Ritmo Loco Street Band” and “X-Saltibagos” will bring fun, rhythm, joy and carnival colors to the main streets of Patras.

At 6:00 in the afternoon, a party will start in Georgiou Square, while two hours later, at 8:00 in the evening, the theater troupe (Helix street theater) with the Baroque parade will depart from the town hall. The Baroque parade, according to KEDIP, “is an action in the form of a night parade, particularly impressive, communicative and matching the spirit of the carnival celebration”.

It will feature ten actors and three percussionists. Also, high stilts with suspensions, huge skirts and spectacular costumes of different colors, acrobats, fire jugglers, and Harlequins will compose a special image.

At 9:00 in the evening, the Mayor of Patreon, Kostas Peletidis, will officially announce the opening ceremony, while the traditional custom of the chocolate fight will follow.

Also, the opening ceremony will include a two-hour concert with Penny Baltatzi, while the presenters of the opening ceremony will be the amateur actors, Vasso Kalokairinou and Alexandros Bistas.

Also, according to KEDIP, “the opening ceremony could not miss the historical game of “Hidden Treasure” which turns 59 years old this year, while graphic videos with archival material from moments of the national carnival from the archive will be shown on the screens of KEDIP”.