Carnival celebrations in the countryside

Carnival is celebrated all over Panama's countryside. Any populated area will be celebrating the Carnival in their own special way from February 1 to 5.
The Los Santos province has the most popular Carnivals. Las Tablas has the largest celebration outside Panama City. Almost all of the townships of the region celebrate in much the same fashion as in Las Tablas, with competition between Calle Arriba (upper street) and Calle Abajo (lower street), but on a smaller scale. Communities with notable celebrations are Pedasí, La Villa de Los Santos, Chitré and Ocú.
In Chitré, the Carnival starts on Friday with a “midnight culeco” and crowds fill the town center and revel in the sprays of water until the wee hours of Saturday morning.
In Ocú, there are three competing calles: Calle Arriba, Calle Abajo and Calle en el Medio (middle street). Queens are selected on the spot between

groups of people who go from house to house singing with “tambores” (drums), “cantalantes” (traditional singers) and “baile foloklorico” (traditional dancing). In each house they visit, they eat, drink and celebrate.
Closer to Panama City in the Coclé Province, the Carnival takes to the River Zaratí for one day of aquatic floats on Saturday or Sunday. They do not have queens, rather different princesses every day. The Aguadulce Carnival has also grown in popularity in the last ten years.
In Chiriqui, the best Carnival is celebrated in Dolega, on the way to Boquete from Davíd. Bocas del Toro usually has some sort of Carnival celebration, as well as the Darien Province. Carnival in Colón is celebrated widely, but is considered dangerous. Note: No Carnival in Chorrera this year.