15 September is Independence Day in Guatemala. As with most festivals in Latin America you could tell there was something coming up because all over town you could hear and see dozens of bands practicing for the big day.
The parade was pretty similar so parades you would see in the US except the music had a much more Latin flair with most bands including marimbas in their lineup. The notable exception to the Latin music was the bad that played Lady Gaga. 🙂
One thing I really noticed was the shoes the women were wearing. I suppose this is because I find walking on the streets of Antigua to be challenging enough when I’m in sport sandals (the streets here are badly done cobble stones so can be a pain in the ass – sometimes literally) so watching these girls walk this parade on these streets in high heels – in one case, 3″ spikes – was impressive.
One of the bands was really amazing. Not only did they play well but they put on a great show. They wore black and white uniforms and you can check them out in the video and pictures below!