The Halloween costume that launched a Christmas parade on Isla Mujeres, Mexico

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2011 Elmo makes his Isla debut

“Hey, cool. We’re invited to a Halloween party on October 31^st, 2011, at Curtis and Ashley’s house, Villa la Bella,” Lawrie said as he read aloud an email invite.

Next thing I know, the local postman arrives on his delivery moto at our front door with an enormous cotton sack tagged with Lawrie’s name and our address.

“What the heck is that?” I asked, oblivious to his recent online costume shopping.  

That was an Elmo costume shipped from the manufacturer Claudio Mascots Oficial Lima Peru; a large, furry, crimson-red costume complete with a big head and googly eyes. It was amazing. Beautifully made, and an exact replica of Elmo.

2011 Elmo greets grandsons Evan & Ethan

Years ago, when Lawrie’s eldest grandson was learning to talk, he thought Lawrie’s name was Elmo, and the nickname stuck. 

The boys were coming for a visit in December 2011. Lawrie decided he could get double-duty from the costume; the Halloween party, and greeting our grandsons at the Ultramar boat.  

The Elmo costume was a huge hit. In the next two years, it was used many times by Lawrie when he greeted arriving nephews, nieces, great-nephews, great-nieces, sister, brother-in-law, and friends at the Ultramar ferry docks. 

2011 Elmo making friends at Barlito's

Elmo-Lawrie was invited to Barlito’s 1^st Anniversary celebration when they were still on Hidalgo Avenue. Everyone wanted their photos taken with Elmo: kids, parents, and grandparents. Even a few of the slightly dubious characters that hang around on the street corner late in the evenings wanted a photo with Elmo.

Then, in 2013, our friend Freddy Medina asked if he could borrow the costume for a birthday fiesta for a special young boy on the island.

Freddy was so overwhelmed by the happiness of the young lad that he suggested the idea of a Christmas parade featuring Elmo and our newest character costumes, Mickey and Minnie Mouse, purchased for yet another Halloween party at Villa la Bella.

2013 Elmo-Freddy makes his debut in the parade

The first parade in 2013 was hilarious. There were only about eight or nine vehicles, and a dozen or so motos. Our jefe, Freddy, was late, and the golf carts had neatly lined up, facing north, instead of south. What did we know? We were all new at this parade stuff. 

We eventually got turned around heading south towards the densely populated neighbourhoods. 

The parade bounced through the colonias on a higgledy-piggledy route that the driver of the lead vehicle had mapped out in his head.

2011 Parade route - Alexis' photo

We had absolutely no idea what we were getting into. The excitement on the faces of the youngsters. The grandparents and parents ran to find the kids to come see Elmo, Mickey, Minnie, SpongeBob, clowns, and the Grinch. The noise. The confusion. The laughter. 

Lawrie and I had bought five pounds of candy, but partway through the route, we asked our drivers, Chuck and Marcy Watt, for an emergency stop at Donasusa to purchase another five pounds.  

It was also the year that we learned not to get out of the golf carts.  Lawrie had waded into the crowd to say hi to the kids when a group of inebriated young men thought it would be uproariously funny to lob Mickey Mouse into the air and catch him – a few times. Picture this: a full-sized man, in a full-body mouse costume, including a large head, being tossed up and down in a crowd. Only in Mexico!

2011 Freddy Medina as Elmo

Two hours later, our tired, ragged group disbanded in Centro on Rueda Medina. Elmo’s vehicle happened to park near the assembly point for the Municipal Presidente of Isla’s Christmas cavalcade. The Presidente suggested to Freddy that Elmo should join that parade. 

Freddy, who had just spent two hours dancing in the back of a pickup truck wearing a full-body fur-suit, was soaked through to his underwear with perspiration. 

However, one does not say no to the Presidente. And away he went, dancing and shouting Feliz Navidad for another two hours.  A new Elmo was born!

In 2014, more people joined the group, bringing the total to about twenty vehicles.  Freddy arranged for the funny bus for participants who didn’t want to drive but wanted to be part of the event. 

The

2014 parade little Minnie Mouse

funny bus is a two-level dilapidated vehicle, decorated with coloured lights and blasting loud music.  

It haunted the island streets for a few years, the operator charging a small fee to take people on an after-dark tour of the island.

That year, we followed a route dictated by the height of the double-decker. The low-hanging electrical wires are always a challenge in Mexico. 

2014 Funny people in the Funny bus

The typical solution is to have a person stand on the top of a truck or vehicle with a wooden broom to lift the wires out of the way. Yep, lift live wires with a broom! Happens all the time. 

But when it’s a parade, there just isn’t the time to lift every low-hanging line and sneak past, while the passengers duck below the seatbacks. 

It was easier to find a different route. Once again, the experience was amazing - noise, people, dogs, kids, and loud music. That year, we tossed fifteen pounds of candy to the crowds.

By 2015, you would think we would have the routine figured out.  More or less, mas o menos.  

2015 Mrs. Claus and Santa

The funny bus was once again available, which meant our route was similar to the previous year, heading south, staying on the main roads, and finishing in Centro near the new Muelle 7 Restaurante on Rueda Medina. 

We had all of the usual character costumes in the parade, along with the addition of Batman-Jimmy.  Santa John Pasnau and Mrs. Claus Valerie Pasnau quietly inserted themselves in the middle of the lineup, giving the kids an additional thrill as Santa waved and said, “ho, ho, ho.” 

2015 our escorts

2015 was the first year we had a police escort in the form of four motorcycle cops who tried their very best to keep us all together. It was like trying to herd cats, which, if you have ever been owned by a cat, you will know is an impossible task. 

Some of the vehicles broke down. A few drivers turned the wrong way. And still others had non-parade vehicles cut in between, causing more confusion. The laughing youngsters and their smiling parents made it all worthwhile.

2016 Participants lining up outside our casa

And then there was this year’s parade, Saturday, December 17^th, 2016, our 4^th Annual Christmas Golf Cart Parade. We had trucks, cars, dozens of golf carts, two tuk-tuks, and a handful of motorcycles, but not the funny bus. It seems to have finally died, expired.  

We had Elmo, Santa, Mrs. Claus, Mickey, Minnie, and a Ninja Turtle. There were at least four or five dogs, including our Sparky, dressed for the occasion, riding in their decorated golf carts. There were dozens of Santa hats, store-bought and handmade decorations. Music. Lights. Candy. 

2016 Mrs. Claus and Santa

Without the bus, our route was more flexible. We wound south from our casa along the Salinas Chica neighbourhood, into Salinas Grande, Las Glorias, through narrow side streets along the main road, turning again into the colonias across from Oscar’s Pizza, popped out onto the main road by Chedraui grocery store, and back into Centro.  

But we weren’t finished yet. Our leader took us on a cross-hatch route along Madero, Medina, Abasolo, Guerrero, Juarez, Matamoros, and Medina again. At the end, we gathered in the square in Centro.

Wow! Just wow. Our faces hurt from smiling. Our throats were dry from laughing. The best parade yet. There were somewhere around fifty vehicles in total.  Thank you so much to everyone who participated in the celebration of fun and family. You are what makes this event so special.

Elmo-Freddy and Elmo-Lawrie

The Christmas Golf Cart Parade is usually the last Saturday before Christmas Eve, but our intrepid leader, Freddy Medina, sets the date. If you want to join in next year, contact Lawrie, Freddy, or me on Facebook. Don’t forget to add battery-powered Christmas lights to your 2017 shopping list. Buying them here is very hit-and-miss.

As for the Elmo costume of the 2011 Halloween party, it now resides at Freddy’s house. It’s a good home for Elmo. Thank you, Freddy Medina, for being the good-hearted, crazy person who thought up this event. 

Freddy giving Elmo his annual post-parade bath

Merry Christmas & Season's Greetings

Lynda, Lawrie, Sparky, and Tommy

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