Well before the official opening, there is already a party going on in Pernambuco. Preparations begin in January, with revelers anxious for the great event in February. The Municipal, and Masque Dance Presentations are constantly in the Pernambuco event calendar. They are the stage for the Carnaval Queens and Kings, adding momentum to the season as the legal holiday approaches and the climate takes hold of everybody.

The traditional Galo da Madrugada (Morning Rooster), largest Carnaval block in the world, has always marked the official beginning of Carnaval, with over a million people reunited on the streets of Recife just after midnight on Carnaval Saturday. The revelers have space on the numerous strategically located stages, and in the frenetic parades of Frevo dancers. Some follow along after the huge flatbed tractor-trailer rigs piled incredibly high with speakers and sound equipment. The dancers and musicians stay perched high up on these rigs, which carry them through the crowd on the parade course. From this point on, it is 24 hour a day happiness, until Ash Wednesday at least.

In Olinda, on the narrow ups and downs of the hundreds of years-old streets, dozens of Carnaval troops dispute space with crowds of merry makers. People fall into the spirit of Frevo music all through the entire day. There is no set hour; you can always find Carnaval blocks on the streets.

In Old Town Recife, jokesters, maracatus, samba schools, caboclinhos and papangus present themselves through the revitalized streets of the neighborhood. The famous Night of the Silent Drums, and parades of traditional blocks are attractions for those wishing to immerse themselves in the roots of Pernambucan culture. Nowhere is there a more spontaneous Carnaval; nothing of roped off areas and segregation, just a great big party for everybody.