Martinique’s biggest show of the year does not sell tickets: it fills the Fort-de-France bayfront for free and only asks you to show up in costume. Carnival costs nothing but a costume Vaval runs for four days before Ash Wednesday, usually February or March, and each day has its own uniform. Dimanche Gras opens with a multicolored grand parade. Lundi Gras flips gender roles for the “Mariages Burlesques,” where men dress as brides and women as grooms.