You don’t have to be in Brazil this March 4th to have your very own Carnaval experience. The samba schools that compete for Carnaval honors in São Paulo hold open rehearsals in the months leading up to the big night. For travelers it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for an up-close experience most people only see from the stands.

And if you are going to be in town for Carnaval, it’s a chance to buy a costume and join the parade. In the video above, I spent an evening with the Perola Negra Samba School from São Paulo’s Villa Madalena neighborhood. There are plenty of samba schools all over São Paulo getting ready for Carnaval, and you can check out their schedule and and join in the fun every night of the week — that is, if you’ve got the energy to keep up.

By George Suarez

About the Author

George Suarez is a travel writer and television producer working out of New York and São Paulo. George has traveled throughout the United States, South America and Asia. His work as an award-winning video producer has taken him from Broadway stages to Afghan prisons to exorcism rites to US defense laboratories. He has an intense phobia of insects.

Posted on February 28, 2011 by Matt Stabile