By now you all should know that I am a carnival addict (yes i’m finally admitting it). I also thought it would be a good idea to start sharing more of my opinion about all these carnivals that I do attend. This year, my friend and I played mas with Mascots International. I saw their gorgeous costumes last year and decided that if I were to attend Miami Carnival the next year, I would play with Mascots International.

REGISTRATION:

We lucked out a bit because we had a personal contact tell us about registration dates. (We found out before it was posted to their Facebook Page). Registration was relatively easy, you filled out a form and it was sent back to the section leader, then your balance was communicated and you sent in a check. This method of registration was very personal and family oriented, like Mascots International.

COMMUNICATION: 

Christine was my point of contact throughout the whole experience and she was always prompt and professional. She is co-owner of the Mascots organization so I love that she nurtures her business in this way and also treats customers like family.

COSTUME EXPECTATIONS vs. REALITY

When the band launched, their costumes looked AMAZING! Rich in color, vibrant jewels and lush feathers. You can imagine how elated I was when I picked up my costume and the quality looked just as good. I previously played mas with Generation X twice in Miami and my costume was not so lush.

Let me also mention, along with being pretty, my costume also held up very well to all my whining and jumping on the road. Kudos to the stitching and gluing team!

THE ROAD – Food/Music/Staff/Vibes:

The food was EH! As a pescetarian,  I don’t always get the best options for carnival food because I don’t eat chicken/red meat. So I only had a bit of vegetable rice and it wasn’t that great. The music and DJ was awesome.. the vibes was rhell nice.. I also enjoyed how joyous the staff was and their attitude toward masqueraders.

Will I play with Mascots next time? Who knows! I’ve seen some other bands I’d love to play mas with. But for my first time with Mascots, I had a superb time and I’m forever grateful for how Christine took care of us.

Until the next carnival