Rio Carnival - complete Grupo Especial parade schedule

SPECIAL GROUP

SUNDAY
February 22, starting at 9pm

IMPÉRIO SERRANO
Av. Ministro Edgard Romero, 114 - Madureira - Tel.: 2489-8722 / 2489-9656
Parade: at 9pm
2009 Theme: Legend of the Mermaids and the Mysteries of the Sea



GRANDE RIO
Rua Wallace Soares, 5 e 6 - Centro - Duque de Caxias - Tel.: 2771-4074
Barracão nº 4 - Cidade do Samba - Tel:2263-5102
Parade: between 10:05pm and 10:20pm
2009 Theme: Voilá, Caxias! Forever Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité. Merci Beaucoup, Brésil! You are welcome!


VILA ISABEL
Av. Boulevard Vinte e Oito de Setembro, 382 - Vila Isabel
Tels.: 2578-0077, 2576-4120
Barracão nº 5 - Cidade do Samba - Tels: 2283-1744, 2233-0787, 2263-3937
Parade: between 11:10 and 11:40pm
2009 Theme: In this Stage of Amusements, My “Vila” is Announcing: The Municipal Theatre, a Centenary Wonder



MOCIDADE INDEPENDENTE DE PADRE MIGUEL
Rua Coronel Tamarindo, 38 - Padre Miguel - Tel.: 3332-5823
Barracão nº 10 - Cidade do Samba - Tel: 2516-3215
Parade: between 00:15am and 01:00am
2009 Theme: Mocidade Presents: Literature Club - Machado de Assis and Guimarães Rosa... the Stars of Poetry



BEIJA-FLOR
Rua Pracinha Wallace Paes Leme, 1.025 - Nilópolis - Tel.: 2791-2866
Barracão Nº 11 - Cidade do Samba - Tel: 2233-5889
Parade: between 1:20am and 2:20am
2009 Theme: In the Merry Shower, those who bathe their bodies wash their soul with amusement



UNIDOS DA TIJUCA
Av. Francisco Bicalho, 47 – Clube dos Portuários - Santo Cristo
Tel.: 2518-3957
Barração n° 12 - Cidade do Samba - Tel: 2263-9836
Parade: between 2:25am and 3:40am
2009 Theme: Tijuca 2009 A Space Odyssey



MONDAY
February 23, from 9pm


PORTO DA PEDRA
Rua Lúcio Tomé Feteira, 290 - Vila Lage - São Gonçalo - Tel.: 3707-1518
Barracão nº 6 - Cidade do Samba - Tels: 2203-2705, 2291-9449
Parade: at 9pm
2009 Theme: Don’t stop my creating, for I must curiositate! I am the country of the future and much I have to invent



SALGUEIRO
Rua Silva Teles, 104 - Tijuca - Tels.: 2238-9226
Barracão nº 8 - Cidade do Samba - Tel: 2223-1110
Parade: between 10:05pm and 10:20pm
2009 Theme: Drums



IMPERATRIZ LEOPOLDINENSE
Rua Professor Lacê, 235 - Ramos - Tel.: 2560-8037
Barracão nº 14 - Cidade do Samba - Tel: 3472-0442
Parade: between 11:10pm and 11:40pm
2009 Theme: Imperatriz... just wants to show it can make Samba too!



PORTELA
Rua Clara Nunes, 81 – Madureira - Tel.: 2489-6440
Barracão nº 1 - Cidade do Samba - Tel: 2233- 4812
Parade: between 0:15am and 1am
2009 Theme: And talking about love, where are you?



ESTAÇÃO PRIMEIRA DE MANGUEIRA
Rua Visconde de Niterói, 1.072 - Mangueira - Tels.: 3872-6786 / 3687
Barracão nº 13 - Cidade do Samba
Parade: between 1:20am and 2:20am
2009 Theme: Mangueira features Brazil’s Brazils, showing the configuration of the Brazilian people



UNIDOS DO VIRADOURO
Av. do Contorno, 16 – Barreto - Niterói - Tel.: 2628-7840

Barracão nº 2 - Cidade do Samba - Tels: 2516-3171, 2516-1301
Parade: between 2:25am and 3:40am
2009 Theme: Vira-Bahia pure energy!

Rio Carnival - the schedule of the samba school desfiles

Many talk about Rio's famed carnival, but few know what it actually entails. The highlight of the week-long bachanal is the samba school parades. Each neighbourhood has its own escola de samba, and they parade down a wide avenue called Marques de Sapucaí flanked with huge bleachers - called the Sambódromo - and are given scores by a panel of judges.

Of all the leagues, the SPECIAL GROUP is the best of the best. These schools parade on Sunday and Monday, finishing at dawn. The 14 schools in the league form the Liga Independente das Escolas de Samba do Rio de Janeiro, and each is composed of approximately five thousand revellers in incedibly elaborate costumes. Atop the floats, in skimpy and glittery bikinis - or sometimes even naked - are several Brazilian celebs.



Carnival is taken very seriously by cariocas, of course, and attending the official samba school desfiles (parades) can get quite pricey. Advance planning is a must, although last minute tickets are always available at a "slight" premium from scalpers and hotel concierges. Here are the official prices for the 09 carnival parades:






Usually, tickets go on sale in November, while a small portion is reserved for foreign tourists until early January. You can always try calling them and seeing if there are last-minute tickets available. The contact info is:

LIESA Sales office - selling official tickets
to the parades
Rua da Alfândega, 25, lojas B/C, Centro
Tel.: (55-21) 2233 – 8151

You can also read more about the 2009 carnival parades on the Riotur website.

Rio street Carnival - complete schedule of the blocos

Carnival in Rio starts much before the official date. The real kick-off happened this
Saturday, February 7, when the first bloco hit the bike path rimming the
Lagoa. The blocos are fun, loosely organized parades where everyone is welcome
to join in the party. Cold beers in hand and festive attire is de rigueur, as
are comfortable shoes, like Havaianas flip flops. Anyone is welcome to join in the
party.

Here is a schedule of when the best blocos will parade, and where. Please note
that the schedule is subject to change (and is governed by Riotur, the city’s
tourism bureau).

Saturday 14 February
Bloco Se Benze Que Dá 9 a.m.
meeting point is at the corner of Guilherme Maxwell and João de Magalhães streets,
in the Maré district.

Xupa Mas Não Baba 2 p.m.
Rua Cardoso Júnior, 420, Laranjeiras.

Bloco Baixo Tijuca 3 p.m.
Praça Varnhagen, 15, Tijuca.

Vem, Caminha Junto! 3 p.m.
Colors worn are blue and yellow.
Av. Monte Cruzeiro s/ nº, Taquara.

Rio Maracatu 3 p.m.
Largo dos Guimarães, Santa Teresa.

Simpatia É Quase Amor 4 p.m.
Colors worn are yellow and lilac.
Praça General Osório, Ipanema.

Aconteceu 6 p.m.
Bar do Gomes (corner of Rua Àurea and Monte Alegre), in Santa Teresa

Pierrot da Madrugada dos Embaixadores da Folia midnight
Rua do Lavradio, Lapa.

Sunday February 15
Suvaco do Cristo 1 pm
Bar Jóia - corner of Rua Jardim Botânico and Rua Faro.

Quem num Güenta Bebe Água 11 am
Rua Gago Coutinho, 37, Laranjeiras.

Escravos da Mauá 1 pm
Colors worn are blue and yellow.
Largo São Francisco da Prainha, Centro.

Gigantes da Lira 4pm, kid-friendly
Praça Aliança, Rua General
Glicério, Laranjeiras.

Suburbanistas 3 p.m.
Rua Marinho Pessoa, 65, Irajá.

Bigode Esticado do Méier 1 p.m.
Rua Dias da Cruz

Larga a Onça, Alfredo!!! 1p.m.
Suas Colors worn are green, yellow and white. Rua Ipiranga, 49, Flamengo.

Wednesday February 18

Samba Brilha 7pm
Bar Escadinha, rua Francisco Serrador, Cinelândia.

Thursday February 19
Loucura Suburbana 1p.m.
IMAS Nize da Silveira, Rua Ramiro Magalhães, 521 Engenho de
Dentro

Friday February 20
Rio Maracatu 1p.m.
Largo dos Guimarães, Santa Teresa.

Rival Sem Rival 1p.m.
Rua Álvaro Alvim, Café Rival, Centro.

Vem Ni Mim que Eu Sou Facinha 5pm
Rua Prudente de Moraes, 10, Ipanema.

Eu Sou Eu Jacaré é Bicho D’Água 5pm
Rua Torres Homem corner of Visconde de Abaeté – Vila Isabel.

Boca que Fala 6pm
MEC, Centro.

Rola Preguiçosa 6 pm
Colors worn are white and orange. Corner of Maria Quitéria and Epitácio
Pessoa streets, Ipanema.

Bloco do Brejeito 6pm
Bar Picote, Rua Marquês de Abrantes 128,
Flamengo.

Carmelitas 6pm
Desfile no Largo das Neves, Santa Teresa.

Badalo de Santa Teresa 8pm
Largo das Neves.

Concentra Mas Não Sai 8pm
Rua Ipiranga, 54, at the bar Severyna.

Azeitona Sem Caroço 21h
Bar Azeitona, rua Dias Ferreira, Leblon.

Boêmios da Lapa 21h
Quadra da Lapa.

Bloco do Bip-Bip midnight
Bar Bip-Bip, Rua Almirante Gonçalves, 50, Copacabana.

OFFICIAL CARNIVAL OPENING!

Saturday February 21
Cordão da Bola Preta 9 am
This is a 90-year-old bloco, a classic. Followed by a huge crowd.
Cinelândia.

Esse é o Bom, Mas Ninguém Sabe 10 am
Praça São Judas Tadeu (Pracinha do Corcovado), Cosme Velho.

Salsa e Cebolinha 1 pm
Rua Gomes Freire, 13, Lapa.

Dois pra lá dois pra cá 2pm
Casa de Dança Carlinhos de Jesus, Rua Álvaro Ramos, 11.

Aconteceu 2 pm
Rua Áurea, Santa Teresa

Bloco do Beco do Rato 1p.m.
Beco do Rato, at Mores e Vale and Joaquim Silva streets, in Lapa.

Gargalhada 1p.m.
Av. 28 de setembro corner of Souza Franco, Vila Isabel.

Cordão da Prata Preta 1p.m.
Rua Sacadura Cabral, 375, Saúde.

Se Não Quer Me Dar, Me Empresta 1p.m.
Rua do Lavradio, Lapa

Imperadores de São Cristóvão 1p.m.
Rua Sá Freire, São Cristóvão.

Não Mexe que Fede 1p.m.
Praça Ary Barroso, no Leme.

Bloco do Camelo 1p.m.
Praia José Bonifácio, Paquetá

Turma do Gato 1p.m.
Tradicional bloco de Pilares. Rua Djalma Dutra, Pilares.

Devassos da Cardeal 1p.m.
Live samba.
Bar do Galo. Rua Cardeal D. Sebastião Leme, 140, Santa
Teresa.

Cachorro Cansado 1p.m.
Restaurante Planalto, na Rua Barão do Flamengo, 35, Flamengo.

Bloco Empurra que pega 5pm
Praça Cazuza, Leblon

Pacotão do Beco 6pm
Rua João Ribeiro, Pilares

Bloco dos Coqueiros 2pm
Praia dos Coqueiros, Paquetá.

Que Merda é Essa? 2pm
Bar Paz e Amor, corner of Ruas Garcia D’Ávila and
Nascimento Silva, Ipanema.

Bangalafumenga 1p.m.
Rua Pacheco Leão, em frente ao Serpro, no Horto.

Maracangalha 1p.m.
Cobal de Botafogo

Simpatia É Quase Amor 1p.m.
Praça General Osório, em Ipanema.

Babaçu Abunda e a Cerveja Também 1p.m.
Pereira Nunes com 28 de Setembro, Vila Isabel.

Império da Folia 17h
Rua Bento Lisboa , corner of com Tavares Bastos, Catete.

Laranjada Samba Clube 18h
Praça do Chorinho, na Rua General
Glicério, Laranjeiras.

Empolga as Nove 9pm
Posto 9, Praia de Ipanema.

Monday February 23
Bloco Virtual 1p.m.
Posto 9, Avenida Vieria Souto, Ipanema.

Corre Atrás 11am
Bar Azeitona, Rua Dias Ferreira, Leblon.

Aconteceu 14h
Largo dos Guimarães, Santa Teresa.

Pede Passagem 13h
Praça Santos Dumont, Gávea in front of the Jockey Club.

Volta, Alice 1p.m.
Bar do Serafim, Rua Alice.

Bloco de Segunda 2pm
Cobal do Humaitá (Rua Voluntários da Pátria, Botafogo).

Rancho Flor do Sereno 7pm
Rua Almirante Gonçalves,
in front of Bip-Bip bar.

Tuesday February 24
Benjamin no Escuro 13h
Instituto Benjamim Constant, Urca.

Unidos do Alto da Boavista 1p.m.
Estrada Maracaí, 350, Alto da Boa Vista.

Bloco dos Coqueiros 14h
Praia dos Coqueiros, Paquetá.

É Tudo ou Nada?! 1p.m.
Colégio Pedro II, Humaitá.

Carmelitas 18h
Desfile no Largo das Neves, Santa Teresa.

Meu Bem Volto Já 1p.m.
Avenida Princesa Isabel in front of the Hotel Plaza.

Só Prá Ver o Que Vai Dar 1p.m.
Corner of Ruas Arnaldo Quintela and Oliveira
Fausto.

Ansiedade 1p.m.
Frevo music and dance. Colors worn are pink and silver.
Mercadinho São José,
Laranjeiras.

Largo do Machado, Mas Não Largo do Copo
Rua Adega Portugália, Largo do Machado.

Clube do Samba 1p.m.
Colors worn are preto e brancoblack and white.
Avenida Atlântica corner of Santa
Clara.

Quizomba 1p.m.
No Circo Voador. Rua dos Arcos, Lapa

Se me Der, Eu Como! 1p.m.
Rua do Matoso, corner of Rua Dr. Satamini.

Cachorro Cansado 1p.m.
Em frente ao Restaurante Planalto, na Barão do Flamengo.

Vagalume 1p.m.
revellers light their lighters like fireflies (vagalumes).
Clube Caxinguelê. Rua
Pacheco Leão, 1235, Horto.

Tramela 1p.m.
Rua João Pinheiro, corner of Rua Teresa
Cavalcanti.

Sorri prá Mim 1p.m.
Bar Petisco da Vila, Rua 28 de Setembro, Vila Isabel

Empurra que Pega 17h
Praça Cazuza, Leblon

Império da Folia 17h
Rua Bento Lisboa , corner of rua Tavares Bastos, Catete.

Vem Ni Mim Que Eu Sou Facinha 5pm
Rua Prudente de Moraes, 10, Ipanema.

Carmelitas 6pm
Largo do Guimarães, Santa Teresa.

wednesday February 25
Me Beija Que Sou Cineasta 11h
Praça Santos Dumont, Gávea.

Thursday February 26
Voltar Pra Quê? 8pm
Teatro Rival. Rua Álvaro Alvim, Cinelândia.

Friday February 27
Só Tamborins 9pm
Quadra da Lapa, next to Asa Branca.

Saturday 28 February
Bafafá 5pm
Posto 9, Ipanema.

Vem, Caminha Junto! 1p.m.
Av. Monte Cruzeiro, Taquara.

Berço do Samba 8pm
Rua Mem de Sá, beside Asa Branca, Lapa.

Sunday march 1
Monobloco 10an
Posto 6, Copacabana.

Condomínio Barangal 1p.m.
Posto 9, Ipanema beach.

For more information:

Alô Rio – Tourism information service (English and Portuguese spoken)
Tel: +55 (21) 2542-8080/ 2542-8004 /0800-7071808
Services available from Monday to Friday, from 9 am to 6 pm.

Antônio Carlos Jobim International Airport of Rio de Janeiro (“Galeão”)
Add.: Av. 20 de Janeiro - Ilha do Governador
Tel: +55 (21) 3398-4527 /3398-4526 /2288-2155

Santos Dumont Airport
Add.: Praça Senador Salgado Filho - Downtown
Tel: +55 (21) 3814-7070

Dalva e Dito, Millesapori and other new restaurants in São Paulo

Dalva e Dito
Alex Atala’s new place is the talk of the town. To know more and see photos, please click here.
Dalva e Dito
Rua Padre João Manuel, 1115, Jardins, 3062-6282

Arturito
Chef-owner Paola Carosella has worked at several other high-end restaurants in São Paulo – most recentlyJulia Cocina, then disappeared for a while. Now she’s back with Arturito, where the focus is on meats roasted in a wood-fired oven. Some foodies absolutely love it, others find it overpriced.
Rua Artur de Azevedo, 542, Pinheiros, tel. 3063-4951



Millesapori
Tiny restaurant owned by an expansive and eccentric Italian. Food is as straight-forward as it gets: arugula topped with sun-dried tomatoes and parmesan shavings, freshly-made pasta topped with a rustic tomato and celery sauce. For desserts, he’s got gelatos from one of the city’s top ice cream shops, Sottozero.
Millesapori
Rua Pedroso Alvarenga, 1177, Itaim, (11) 3073-1061

Na Cozinha
Self-billed a “gastropub” – although it was never a pub to begin with – Na Cozinha is actually a hip little restaurant in the same line as the bistronomics that are becoming so popular in France and Spain. Casual setting, ambitious food, open kitchen (which you must cross to get from the room in front to the additional tables in the back. Plates and bowls are by ceramist Hideko Honma.
Na Cozinha
R. Haddock Lobo, 955, Jardins, (11) 3063-5377

Vito
An “authentic” italian owned by André Mifano, a tatooed and outspoken chef who, surprisingly, has never been to Italy. It’s always filled with foodies, who get there by word of mouth, which means it’s quite hard to score a table. A trusted friend went recently and found it very overrated - dry pork belly, apple risotto teeming with garlic. But many others have gone and loved it.
He makes a great raviolo stuffed with shredded oxtail.

... and pumpkin ravioli stuffed with beurre noisette:


Vito: Rua Pascoal Vita, Vila Beatriz, tel. 55-11 3032-1469

Artists Vik Muniz and Nuno Ramos open shows in Rio

Two big names in Brazilian art will be showing in Rio this season.

The first is Vik Muniz, who today is the best-known Brazilian artist abroad, whose exhibition opened last Friday at the MAM museum.



The show takes over an expanse mearuring 1300 square meters and includes 131 photographic works - many of them tryptichs.
MAM - Avenida Infante Dom Henrique, 85, Parque do Flamengo, Centro, tel. (55-21) 2240-4944

Then on March 18, Anita Schwartz Art Gallery will open the show "Dead Sea", with original and new works by famed artist Nuno Ramos.



He will create the work "Dead Sea (Soap Opera 2)" at the gallery itself, by melting soap and using it to coat two boats – one fishing boat and one canoe, measuring 11 and 7 meters, respectively, and weighing a total of two tons. The melting process and hardening of the soap will take about one week. The boats will criss-cross one another, “like razors”. Speakers, also covered with soap, will play a text called – what else? - "Dead Sea", written by Ramos himself. On the gallery’s third floor, Nuno Ramos will show two works of the “Relevos” series, which he refers to as "paintings", but are, rather, huge structures composed of metal, fabric and oil paint (pictured below). Inside a container set up on the terasse videoart (“Casco”, 2004) will be shown.



Anita Schwartz Galeria de Arte Rua José Roberto Macedo Soares, 30, Gávea, Tel: (55-21) 2274-3873

Corredor Chopin: new art hub next door to Copacabana Palace hotel

When I was in Rio last November, I stopped by the opening of the so-called Corredor Chopin.

The name is a bit cryptic, but actually it's nothing more than a hidden alley runing along the side of the famed Chopin building in Rio (that of the legendary New Year's parties). The posh antique shop Antiquário Arnaldo Danemberg has been there forever, as has the Pequena Galeria 18, owned by Mário Cohen, the first gallery in Brazil to specialize in photography.








Since last November, there's a newcomer, owned by three society gals, called Galeria Tempo (pictured above). It, too, sells art photography.

So the three businesses got together and decided to name themselves the Corridor Chopin.

Galeria Tempo: Av. Atlântica, 1.782, loja E. Tel. (55-21) 2255-4586

Rio: index of all posts, by subject

Carnival

1. Samba schools parade: the full schedule and ticket prices
2. Rio street carnival 2009 - the schedule of the best street blocos (parades)
3. Rio's best samba schools: complete listing of grupo especial escolas
4. Winners of 2009 Carnival parades are announced: Salgueiro is #1!

New Year's

1. Rio's mayor hires Madonna to sing at the Copacabana New Year's Party

Dining and bars (botecos)

1. Roberta Sudbrack: the best chef in Rio?
2. Terzetto Café: great breakfast spot in Ipanema
3. The best restaurants in Rio according to the experts
4. Bráz, Carlota... São Paulo restaurants open Rio outposts
5. Where to eat bacalhau (cod): the best Portuguese restaurants
6. Le Pré-Catalan at the Sofitel: when hotel dining is done right
7. Bráz, São Paulo's best pizzeria, opens outpost in Barra da Tijuca
8. The best cafés, pastry shops, finger foods and chocolates in Rio
9. Academia da Cachaça, in Leblon: the best spot for pairing cachaças and traditional Brazilian food
10. Aquim: elegant restaurant with great food in Leblon
    

Hotels

1. The best hotels in Barra da Tijuca
2. Sheraton has the best spa in Barra da Tijuca
3. The Ouro Verde, in Copacabana: and old classic has gone downhill
4. La Maison, in Gávea, is one of Rio's best places to stay
5. La Suite, an exclusive 7-room guesthouse with stunning views
6. The best hotels in Leblon, Rio
7. The best hotels in Ipanema, Rio
8. Hotel Fasano Rio, in Ipanema: the best in town
9. The best hotels in Copacabana, Rio
10. The best hotels in Santa Teresa, Rio
11. The hotel Santa Teresa, in Santa Teresa, Rio: a full report with photos

Fashion and Shopping

1. Best shops in Ipanema: Lenny, Mara Mac, etc.
   
2. Fashion Rio, the biggest fashion event
3. Rio's best beauty addresses
4. 2009 Oi Fashion Rocks: Versace, Marc Jacobs, Lenny et al on the runway, Diddy, Mario Testino, Donatella and Mariah in attendance
   

Attractions/ Sightseeing

1. Rio Ferris wheel opens in Copacabana
2. Artists Nuno Ramos and Vik Muniz open shows in Rio
3. Corredor Chopin: new art hub nextdoor to the Copacabana Palace hotel
4. Museu da República museum shows contemporary art
5. Yves Saint Laurent at the Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil (CCBB)
6. Livraria da Travessa, in Barra da Tijuca