Carnival fun on Place d’Armes
Artists from the Eklabul agency came to entertain during the carnival - © Monaco Tribune
Around a hundred children took part in the event organised by Monaco Town Council.
Entertainment, confetti and face painting all contributed to a festive atmosphere at the La Condamine market. Monaco Town Council organised a free, open-air winter carnival for children on Wednesday 21 February. Jugglers, contortionists, tightrope walkers, balloon twisters and make-up artists were on hand to entertain the youngsters in among the stalls on the Place d’Armes.
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“It’s the first time we’ve organised a winter carnival in Monaco,” said Christelle Costa from the Council’s events department. “Our elected representative, Axelle Amalberti-Verdino, first had the idea of the carnival, it’s something she was keen to introduce,” she added. And the Place d’Armes wasn’t the only venue for the event, with another part taking place at the Monte-Carlo Market.
Wonder and amusement
The children’s faces were all smiles. Many of them were in awe of the artists’ performances. Thomas, who was particularly interested in the jugglers, came along with his grandfather Marco. Dressed in his Pikachu costume, he said in a shy little voice while he was at the face-painting stand, “I’m glad I came.”
Children in fancy dress certainly got into the carnival spirit, like Zackari in his Spiderman costume. He waited impatiently for his friends. His mum, Rania, said, “He loves Carnival and it’s a great opportunity to dress up, he loves Spiderman.” And Zackari wasn’t the only one with spider powers at the La Condamine market – around a dozen children had the same idea.
A little further on, mini pirates, princesses and superheroes excitedly chased the giant bubbles. In front of them, Kristina, an English-speaking nanny, watched over a handful of toddlers. She loved the event. “It’s a good idea, I know it’s the first time, and it’s a success,” she said, “I can tell the children are happy, so I’m happy too.”
At the other end of the square, near the balloon twister, John liked the idea and thought the location was well-chosen, saying “the atmosphere of the Place d’Armes is great. It’s a bit confined with the market on though. But the wonderful weather is certainly with us, which is great,” he added. One little cloud in an otherwise bright blue sky, he found that the activities were not best suited to his 11-year-old son. Despite being billed as a festive event for all ages, the activities seem to be more of interest to the youngest visitors.