Thousands of people dressed as terrifying characters from fables and legends have taken to the streets in a Nicaraguan festival heavy on fright. The Aguizotes festival, held in an indigenous neighborhood in the city of Masaya, is known for local artisans’ spectacularly spooky masks. Music for the event, in the town south of Managua, is cool in its own right—a hypnotizing soundtrack of drums, cymbals, trumpets, trombones and tubas.
A man with painted face participates in the annual Los Aguizotes festival, in the indigenous neighborhood of Monimbo in Masaya, Nicaragua.--AFP photos
Artisan Fermina Lopez shows a devil mask to be used in the annual Los Agüizotes festival in her workshop.
Artisan Lester Espinoza puts the finishing touches on a devil mask to be used in the annual Los Aguizotes festival in his workshop.
Artisan Fermina Lopez holds a devil mask to be used in the annual Aguizotes festival at her workshop in the indigenous community of Monimbo.
Artisan Fermina Lopez puts a devil mask that will be used in the annual Los Aguizotes festival on her nephew at her workshop.
View of a devil mask that will be used in the annual Los Aguizotes festival at a workshop.
People with masks pose for a picture during the annual Los Aguizotes festival.
A boy with a skull-design painted on his face takes part in the annual Los Aguizotes festival.
"Our grandfathers and grandmothers did this to instill fear in future generations—so that they would do the right things,” William Guerrero, decked out in a red devil’s mask, told AFP.
The festival is held the last Friday of each October. Characters include a black devil with enormous horns and a Witch of the Volcano. Another traditional character, the "nagua” or haunted cart, travels through town at night making a clamorous noise. Driving it—dressed in a white tunic and carrying his signature scythe—is the figure of "Death.”
Artisan Lester Espinoza stands next to devil masks to be used in the annual Los Aguizotes festival at his workshop.
Artisan Lester Espinoza puts the finishing touches on a devil mask to be used in the annual Los Aguizotes festival in his workshop.
Artisan Fermina Lopez poses for a photo wearing a devil mask to be used in the annual Los Aguizotes festival and poses for a photo at her workshop.
A man with a devil mask plays with fire participates in the annual Los Aguizotes festival, in the indigenous neighbourhood of Monimbo in Masaya.
A boy in a costume takes part in the annual Los Aguizotes festival.
A girl participates in the annual Los Aguizotes festival.
People with masks pose for a picture during the annual Los Aguizotes festival.
People with masks pose for a picture during the annual Los Aguizotes festival.
Several family workshops produce masks for the festival. Artisan Fermina Lopez, 39, told AFP that she inherited her mask workshop. Lester Espinoza, 42, told AFP that his family workshop made more than 1,000 masks for the carnival. "It starts out as a kind of dough, and then we put it in the mold and we begin to style the mask.”—AFP