In addition to Stavelot’s famous carnival featuring the Blanc Moussis, several other Belgian cities host events halfway through the Lenten period.
La Roche-en-Ardenne holds one of most important carnivals in Wallonia. Although it officially runs Friday through Sunday, the big event occurs on the final day at 2 p.m., when a grand parade made up of more than 40 groups from not only Belgium but France, Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg and other cities marches forward.
Entry to the parade costs 4 euros, and also allows entry to the final rondeau, a grand finale featuring live music and much good humor.
Andenne’s Carnival parade, also Sunday, features candy, trinkets, confetti and bears by the hundreds. Costumed marchers — not the real creatures — are the stars of a parade starting at 2:30 p.m. The procession winds up in Tilleul Square, site of the city’s town hall. From the town hall’s balcony, the Carnival king and queen toss little teddy bears into the crowd.
Find more information on the Carnival of the Bears at http:// tinyurl.com/bvggvsm.
For general information on Carnival in La Roche-en-Ardenne, visit http://tinyurl.com/ck2roxz.
In Antwerp, mid-Lent is marked by the performance of a respected folklore group known as the Lange Wapper. Each year at this time, the troupe performs a sword dance in the Grote Markt, in front of the city’s cathedral. The group strives for historical accuracy, and the costumes worn by the dancers reflect the fashions of Antwerp’s citizens in about 1820.
Performances take place Sunday morning at 8:40, 9:30, 10:15 and 11:30 and in the afternoon at 12:30 and 1:30.
