Pasto, founded in 1539, begins each year with a joyful celebration. By the first week of January, the color of people's skin becomes irrelevant in carnival of whites and blacks. This is Nariño's main carnival, which celebrates tolerance and racial integration. Carnival locals paint their faces black one day and white the next. These are the two main days of the black and white carnival, which since 2009 is part of the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage.