Cuba - Lonely Planet [6]
fiestas sanjuaneras
last weekend of Jun
This feisty carnival in Trinidad is a showcase for the local vaqueros (cowboys), who gallop with their horses through the narrow cobbled streets.
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JULY
Día De La Rebeldía Nacional
Jul 26
On this day the Cubans ‘celebrate’ Fidel Castro’s failed 1953 attack on Santiago’s Moncada Barracks (see boxed text,). The event is a national holiday and – in the days when Castro enjoyed better health – the loquacious leader was famous for making five-hour speeches. Expect un poco (a little) politics and mucho (much) eating, drinking and being merry.
CARNAVAL DE SANTIAGO DE CUBA
end of Jul
Arguably the biggest and most colorful carnival in the Caribbean, the famous Santiago shindig Click here is a riot of floats, dancers, rum, rumba and more. Come and join in the very caliente (hot) action.
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AUGUST
FESTIVAL INTERNACIONAL ‘HABANA HIP-HOP’
Organized by the Asociación Hermanos Saíz – a youth arm of Unión de Escritores y Artistas de Cuba (Uneac; Union of Cuban Writers and Artists) – the annual Havana Hip-Hop Festival is a chance for the island’s young musical creators to improvise and swap ideas (Click here).
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SEPTEMBER
FESTIVAL INTERNACIONAL DE MÚSICA BENNY MORÉ
The Barbarian of Rhythm is remembered in this biannual celebration of his suave music, headquartered in the singer’s small birth town of Santa Isabel de las Lajas in Cienfuegos province (see boxed text,).
fiesta de Nuestra señora de la caridad
Sep 8
Religious devotees from around Cuba partake in a pilgrimage to the Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Cobre near Santiago to honor Cuba’s venerated patron saint.
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OCTOBER
FESTIVAL INTERNACIONAL DE BALLET DE LA HABANA
Hosted by the Cuban National Ballet, this annual festival brings together dance companies, ballerinas and a mixed audience of foreigners and Cubans for a week of expositions, galas, and classical and contemporary ballet. It has been held in even-numbered years since its inception in 1960.
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NOVEMBER
FIESTAS DE LOS BANDAS ROJO Y AZUL
Considered one of the most important manifestations of Cuban campesino (country person) culture, this esoteric fiesta in Ciego de Ávila settlement of Majagua splits the town into two teams (red and blue) who compete against each other in boisterous dancing and music contests (see boxed text,).
Marabana
late Nov
The popular Havana marathon draws between 2000 and 3000 competitors from around the globe. It’s a two-lap course though there are also races for half-marathon, 10km and 5km distances.
FESTIVAL INTERNACIONAL DE JAZZ
Intrinsically linked to Cuban jazz maestro, Chucho Valdés Click here, the International Jazz Festival is staged in the Karl Marx, Mella and Amadeo Roldán theaters in Havana, and draws in top figures from around the world for some truly memorable concerts.
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DECEMBER
FESTIVAL INTERNACIONAL DEL NUEVO CINE LATINOAMERICANO
The internationally renowned film festival (www.habanafilmfestival.com) held in cinemas across Havana illustrates Cuba’s growing influence in Latin American cinema worldwide (Click here).
procesiÓn de san lÁzaro
Dec 17
Every year on this day Cubans descend en masse on the venerated Santuario de San Lázaro Click here in Santiago de las Vegas, on the outskirts of Havana. Some come on bloodied knees, others walk barefoot for kilometers to exorcize evil spirits and pay off debts for miracles granted.
Las Parrandas
Dec 24
A firework frenzy that takes place every Christmas Eve in Remedios in Villa Clara province, Las Parrandas sees the town divide into two teams who compete against each other to see who can come up with the most colorful floats and the loudest bangs!
las charangas de bejucal
Dec 24
Didn’t like Las Parrandas? Then try Las Charangas, Havana province’s cacophonous alternative to the firework fever further east. The town splits