The Annual Invasion

Every year Mexico City is invaded by an army of creatures more bizarre than anything imagined in any horror or science fiction movie.  The invaders are the "alebrijes", and they arrive each October with the "alebrije" parade.  In case you don't already know, "alebrijes" are colorful, fantastical animals that have become a staple of Mexican popular art.  In 2007 the Museum of Popular Arts sponsored the first "Parade and Contest of Monumental Alebrijes"... monumental as in BIG.  Some of the parade entries are more than 13 feet high.

This year was the 15th parade (there was an interruption during the pandemic).  It is always held in October a couple of weekends before the Day of the Dead.  I was not able to attend the parade this year, but fortunately all of the entries are put on display along the Paseo de la Reforma until after the Day of the Dead.  That was the reason that Alejandro and I wanted to go to Reforma last Sunday.

I have not been able to find the specific number of entries this year.  News articles simply say over 200.  I think there were more entries than ever before.  In past years the "alebrijes" extended along Reforma from the Independence Monument to the Diana Fountain.  This year they went well beyond the fountain towards Chapultepec Park.

Between the mix of sun and shade along the tree-lined boulevard and the crowds of people, trying to photograph the "alebrijes" can be difficult.  Here are some of the better pictures that I took...

      

This entry is a tribute to Pedro Linares (1906 - 1992), the man who is credited with inventing "alebrijes".  Linares was an artisan who created figures out of papier mâché.  When he was 30 years old, he was gravely ill with peritonitis.  In his feverish hallucinations he saw strange creatures that incorporated features of several animals in one.  After he recovered, he began creating figures based on those bizarre animals.  In his hallucinations, the animals continually chanted a nonsense word, "Alebrije, alebrije, alebrije."  So, that is what he called his creatiions.

These photos are from just one side of the street!  I'll post some more photos in my next entry.