After a few groups fought their way through
the crowd, dispersing them with the macos, a Drac appeared, with more carretillas
fixed with clips to various parts of their bodies. They would push these
through the people who crowded around the Dracs as close as they could
get. After a few of the Dracs and Las Colles went by, things began to pick
up. The drumming worked the crowd into a frenzy. The Los Colles appeared
more rapidly. The Colles which had moved out of the square lit up the parade
route with fireworks. Some were followed by the people in the crowd, fan
clubs we guessed.
The more elaborate Dracs issued blue, purple, and
orange smoke along with the carretillas. 
Each of Las Colles consisted of the Diablos leading the way with drums,
followed by a couple of people with flares or other types of punks. After
the Diablos, or if present, the Drac, was a modified shopping cart or wheelbarrow.
Some of the carts were completely shielded with painted plywood, while
others were simply swaddled in burlap. These contained the carretilla.
The people attending the carts would rush up after the carretillas would
burn out and explode and change them. They then set them afire with the
punks, and the Diablo or Drac would push into the crowd, spraying everyone
with sparks. 
Each of the carts had a pole attached with a blinking
light, like those used by runners at night. Every so often, and always
after the Dracs, was a Diablo with a whistle who would act as a traffic
cop, keeping the groups of Diablos separated. Amazing that they had any
order at all considering the rush of the crowds!
We got caught up in the melee like everyone and were
pushed into Dracs and Diablos as the crowd pushed and seethed. I made sure
my wife and I had on only cotton and wool, but we didn't have any cover
like the rest of the crowd. So, as we were jostled around, we kept checking
each other for stray sparks, especially in my wife's hair (I'm bald and
had my hat on). As I felt the hot sparks on. my neck, I'd pull up the collar
on my sport jacket. My wife pulled her wool cardigan over her head when
things got really "hot." It was a real kick to dive in with the
rest of the crowd.
As things picked up, the people in the crowd started
to tackle the Diablos and were charging into the showers of sparks. After
about an hour of this I figured we were only about half way through the
parade. We were getting pretty tired and ducked out to the sidelines to
watch and let the younger people in the crowd tear it up. What a night!
A piece will follow that covers the Sunday night (9/24)
"Piromusical" and "Un nuevo record Guinness," in which
over 270,000 "bengalas" or sparklers were lit simultaneously.
John Sergneri