Join in South America's longest Carnival as a "murga" performer and experience its colorful costumes, lively singing, and animated performances. Uruguay's Carnival is longer than the more famous one in Brazil and is a celebration of a good harvest, the country's abolition of slavery, and marks the beginning of Lent. And like all festivals, color, glitter, fun, casualness, good humor, laughter and emotion are the main component of this Uruguayan celebration of life. Unlike Brazil's street festival, Uruguay's is held on small stages called "tablados," by murgas, a unique form of choir involving 14 to 17 people dressed in costume. Get in the spirit with a visit to a tablado where you'll watch performers in colorful costumes and even come up to stage, try on a murga costume and become a murga performer for one day. Before you arrive at the tablado, you'll be treated to a tour of Montevideo.