The story
Carnaval de Bayamo in Bayamo
Bayamo's carnival, tied since colonial times to the August 6 feast of patron saint San Salvador and formally called a carnival only from 1962 onward, fills four days with floats, comparsas, fireworks, orchestras and a separate children's program, shaped over four decades by cultural promoter Saturno Bruqueta, who brought first-rate performers to the city.
Bayamo's main annual festivities trace back to colonial times, tied to August 6, the feast of San Salvador, the city's patron saint, a religious anchor that predates the word carnival itself in local usage by generations.