What is Barranquilla Carnival’s nocturnal pre-carnival parade called?

Barranquilla Carnival’s nocturnal pre-carnival parade is called La Guacherna.

La Guacherna is regarded as the most important event of Barranquilla’s pre-carnival season. It features cumbiambas, tambora musicians, folkloric groups, elaborate costumes, candles, and colorful lanterns moving through the city at night.

The tradition has roots in Barranquilla’s Barrio Abajo, where neighbors used a guache—a percussion instrument resembling a rattle—to signal that dancing and rehearsals were beginning. Composer Esthercita Forero helped revive the parade officially in 1974, together with Alicia de Andréis.

It is sometimes confused with the carnival’s main parades, which take place during carnival week itself. La Guacherna is a pre-carnival event, traditionally held on the Friday before the carnival begins, and its name refers to the older neighborhood custom of announcing a lively street procession.