La Piñata in Santa Cruz de Tenerife is the final revival of carnival after Lent. It arrives one week after Ash Wednesday — just after the Burial of the Sardine — when the city officially closes the festivities and then reopens them for one last night.
This tradition is particular to Tenerife because it extends carnival beyond the usual religious calendar. Elsewhere, the end of carnival marks the beginning of Lent with no return; here, Santa Cruz brings the costumes back out for one final outing.
Think of it as a festive resurrection without the spectacle of a big official event. The locals bring out their fancy dress again, the streets fill up once more, and carnival resumes in a freer, more local form.
The evening usually starts in the late afternoon and gradually builds in intensity. There are concerts, street entertainment and informal parades in the centre of Santa Cruz.
The atmosphere is less structured than a big official parade. You are not there for one continuous route, but to wander between several focal points, listen to music and follow the groups moving through the streets. The area around Plaza de la Candelaria, Plaza del Príncipe and Avenida Francisco La Roche concentrates most of the activity.