<![CDATA[ Carnaval Internacional de Elvas custa 180 mil euros e arranca na quinta-feira ]]>

A night parade is the big news at this year's edition of the Elvas International Carnival, in the district of Portalegre, which has an investment of 180 thousand euros, a source from the municipality told Lusa news agency this Tuesday.

The Mayor of Elvas, José Rondão Almeida, indicated that this year's edition starts on Thursday and continues until March 4, with the days "all filled" with activities, so that "people, once and for all, can get the problems" they face on a daily basis out of their heads.

"Our goal was to make every day, from sunrise to sunset, a real party," he highlighted.

In a statement, Elvas City Council revealed that groups of revelers from Spain and the Alentejo municipalities of Alandroal, in the district of Évora, and Campo Maior, in the district of Portalegre, were invited to the Carnival.

The local authority said it hopes to make this event, now in its 25th edition, "a unique initiative in the region and the country".

This year, the Elvas International Carnival will consist of three parades, on the 1st, 2nd and 4th of March, led by nine groups, representing associations and parishes in the municipality.

"On Saturday, groups of parades from Badajoz (Spain) will gather and, on Carnival Tuesday, parades from Olivença (Spain), which will be joined by groups of masked people, totaling more than one and a half thousand revelers", reads the statement.

On Monday, a night-time carnival parade, starting at 9:30 pm, is the "big news" of the event, ending the night in Praça da República, with a party dance.

The municipality also announced that a choreographic gala is scheduled for this Friday at the Coliseu Comendador Rondão Almeida, starting at 10 pm.

The program also includes, on the same day, starting at 10:00 am, a school parade of preschool and 1st cycle children from the municipality.

On Thursday, the "Day of Comadres and Compadres" will also be celebrated, starting at 10:30 am, with the participation of students from the Senior University of Elvas, the ARKUS Youth Association and students from the D. Sancho II Secondary School.