BAILE DE LOS CASCARONES--2014..

On a balmy evening in the late spring, we are preparing for the Annual Baile de los Cascarones...

 Sponsored by the Sociadad Floclorico, it is held each year once Lent is over to help preserve the music and customs of Santa Fe....

 And it IS a glittering affair......

 My outfit was months in the making--a very kind woman on E-bay from San Antonio put a brand new waistband on the skirt I purchased--at no charge--so that it would fit me better, and the matching top was found on E-bay a few months later all the way in Australia.....

 The sisters meet up at our usual rendezvous point--the fireplace in the lobby of the Convention Center....

 Former St. Francis school alums reunite......

 The dancing eggs on the sign are the "cascarones"--brightly decorated confetti eggs that a gent breaks over (not "on") the head of the lady he hopes to dance with for any given dance......

 Barbara, a  Floclorico member, and her family.....

 And the dancing commences--with La Marcha.....

 Which can get pretty complicated.....

 A beaming Bernadette.....

 And the noteworthy smile of Miss Sisi.....

 And onward we go.....

 Into ever more complicated territory of the dance....

 Our former neighbor guarding the beaded belt that I later won at the Silent auction......

 Sisi admires a large photo that this couple brought and set up facing the dance floor.....

 It is a photo of the man's mother in her heyday.  This is the first Baile de los Cascarones since she passed away earlier this year, and they felt that she would want to attend at least one more grand ball.....

 Sisi really understands the gesture and adds words of comfort to the loyal son and his wife....

 So, if you are ever looking for a fun and educational event in Santa Fe, attend the Baile de los Cascarones.....

Afterall, there is nothing more romantic than an evening in the heart of a Santa Fe Springtime......