Dancing for Faith in the Exhuberant Virgin of Carmen Festival in Paucartambo
The tiny colonial town of Paucartambo, located about four hours from Cusco, doesn’t have much more than three streets to its name, and yet, it is considered one of the folkloric capitals Peru. This is entirely due to the idiosyncratic Virgin del Carmen Festival, when residents abandon the quotidian chores of country life to don papier maché masks and bull fighter’s dress, or other traditional costumes, and dance as their ancestors did, downing as much beer as possible in the process. The festival has become more popular each year, so much so that for a few days each July the town overflows with more than 90,000 visitors, the majority of who camp out on its streets when lodging is no longer available.
It all begins with the entrance of the 
musicians and the sixteen dance groups on July 15th. In their extravagant costumes, they exuberant dancers make their way towards the church followed by a pious procession bearing candles, flowers, and other offerings. The Capaq Qolla and Capaq Negro dancers enter the church briefly to serenade the Virgin. The evening continues with bonfires, a riotous firework display, and a solemn midnight serenade.
The following day, July 16th, is the main day of the festival and begins with dawn mass. Afterwards, in the plaza, the crowds tousle to receive disparate gifts of fruit, ceramics, toys, and even small furniture tossed from a raised platform by the masked leaders of each dance group. Then, it is time for the main event as the Virgin is finally removed from the temple in procession.
The carefully adorned Virgin of Carmen (affectionately referred to as the Mamacha Carmen) is borne on a litter through the streets to bless the faithful and frighten away demons, the latter of which are represented by the Saqras, who perform acrobatic feats on the rooftops and balconies but scream and hide their faces when the Virgin passes. They cut quite the figure in their rainbow dress and animal masks, and like all of the festival’s characters they have their roots in Peruvian historical folktales and legends.
She is followed by the dancers and their 
sixteen bands, which fill the town with music and present traditional dances from the pre-Columbian, colonial, and republican eras which together weave a visual and musical narrative that is uniquely Peruvian. As is evident in all of the country’s religious festivals, it is through dancing that the faithful express their devotion to the patron saint and the community, and request blessings for the year to come. Even a paucartambino who lives abroad has the right to dance in representation of his or her family, and many return for just this reason.
You’ll see a range of characters, from condor-men and jungle warriors to feudal lords and soldiers. Some republican-era dances reference very specific moments in Peruvian history, such as the Qapaq Chujchu, which commemorates malarial suffering, and the Auqa Chilenos, which commemorates abuses committed by the Chilean army during the War of the Pacific. The Qapac Negros’ stately dance honors the memory of slaves who toiled in the silver mines and cotton fields. A few dances, such as the K’achampa warrior dance, have pre-Columbian Incan roots.
Non-dancing characters also weave throughoutthe crowds, especially the Maqta tricksters, who alternately entertain and maintain order, the Majeños who impersonate wine and cane merchants from the Majes Valley, and the half-men, half-bear Ukukus.
July 17th is a day of feasting in the cemetery, so that dead relatives and friends can be included. The Virgin is carried through the streets for the final time, to the Carlos III Bridge to receive the farewell of the town and impart 
blessings. To end the festivities, a symbolic mock-battle is waged between the demons and the devout, with the forces of good inevitably winning out, and the ensuing party continues into the night.
Those who are interested in experiencing this colorful cultural encounter for themselves will find that buses leave Cusco for Paucartambo frequently throughout the festival. The difficult part of the trip is always lodging, which is in short supply. Right now, there are surely still some rooms for rent available, but closer to the festival the only option will be camping. Camping out is easier if you are traveling with a group, as you will need to consider not only how much equipment you will need (easily obtained in Cusco’s rental stores), but also what you will do with it during the festivities.