Wow, how incredibly fast did February fly by?! January felt like the longest January anyone has experienced ever, and now we’re already in March. But to be fair, for the last month, the nona.media team was busy at work putting together an amazing Nonahood Latino event for the community by the community: El Carnaval 2020! Carnival, translated into Spanish as “Carnaval,” is a traditional season in not only Latin American countries but in several places all around the world, during which everyone gathers to indulge in our favorite guilty pleasures, typically right before Lent. It’s a time for celebration and fun, and Carnival easily becomes something to look forward to at the beginning of every year. 

This tradition is the basis for our event, El Carnaval, where we get to take the magnetism and enchantment of the Carnival tradition and create the same ambiance here in our very own Lake Nona. Even if you’re not familiar with the tradition, El Carnaval is an event for people of all cultures and ages in the community to reunite and have a blast listening to good music while devouring good eats and drinks.

This year, we had exciting performances from several bands, including a batucada featuring talented samba dancers, as is customary for Carnival in Brazil! In between performances, you could easily grab some grub from a selection of savory food trucks and vendors or refresh yourself with sweet specialty drinks. The fiesta continued up until sundown, when the after-party at Boxi Park took over with everyone in high spirits from the fun-filled afternoon.

Thank you to all who came out far and wide to celebrate the culture, tradition and magic with us at El Carnaval. It was an unforgettable day, full of great music, food, dancing and entertainment! If you missed out, take a look at the hashtag #CarnavalLakeNona2020 to see photos and videos from the event. We hope to be celebrating with you again very soon!