Patras Carnival to kick off! (photos)

The carnival in the city of Patras in the Peloponnese is known as the carnival of carnivals. It is the largest in all of Greece. It goes back 182 years, and the time for the carnival goers has arrived for this year’s festivities. The economic crisis did not manage to dampen the spirit of the Greeks, with nearly 30,000 people expected to participate in the parade with tens of floats down the main street of Patras. The large parade will start at 2pm and will be broadcast live on Greek state TV. The 30,000 members of the 146 groups taking part in the festivities will be wearing 126 colourful costumes during the parade of the 29 floats moving down the street. Last night saw the great parade take place with crew members taking part in the festivities and happenings, while other side events took place in the open.