A New Beginning for the Bullfighting Stadium?

No bull here: Playing in the stadium's sand. 

Today, Bogotá's Institute of Sports and Recreation (the IDRD) put on a cultural/artistic festival in the Plaza de Toros, which, if Mayor Petro has his way, will host no more toros. Certainly, the mimes, dancing, art and sandboxes provided a very different atmosphere from the mauling and killing of animals.

Still, bullfighting and other activities aren't mutually exclusive. In normal years, the bullfighting season lasts only a month and a half, and it's a real pity that the handsome plaza sits empty for most of the rest of the year.

Mimes play tug-of-war.

An Afro-Colombian dance troupe did its thing. 

No protesters today. A bored line of riot police outside. 

Photographing a mime. 

The sign denounces mistreatment of animals. 

Writing notes on a wishing tree. Many of the messages called for an end to bullfighting. 

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours