Tradition and celebration are very much alive in the Autonomous Region of Valencia, as we are sure you have already noticed! Throughout the year, there are plenty of opportunities to participate in local festivities and soak up a bit of the culture of the millor terreta del món (the best place in the world), as the region of Alicante is popularly known.
Below you will find a series of festivals that you cannot miss near the Cumbre del Sol Residential Resort during April:
Patron Saint’s Day Celebration in honour of Puríssima Xiqueta (April 26th – May 5th)
These celebrations take place every year on the fourth Sunday in April, in which the Coronación de la Reina (Queen’s Crowning) is one of the most noteworthy acts. The streets are decorated during these special days and there are activities for both children and adults alike. You will find parades where residents dress in traditional costumes accompanied by the sound of local musical instruments such as the dulzaina and the tabal. Processions will also take place in honour of the Patron Saint. In addition, there will be activities to suit all ages: a children’s playground, parades with floats, costumes, and orchestras so that you can dance the night away. You can’t miss the mascletadas (La Mascletà is a show that combines sound, smoke, and colour) at noon and the firework displays at night.
The following Monday, Riberero day is celebrated (riberers in Valencian). This is a local festival in which Benissa residents pay tribute to a symbolic figure in memory of the peasants who moved to the riverbed of the Júcar River to work as temporary migrants in rice crops. The last days of the festival are dedicated to a releasing of the cows (suelta de vacas); the residents of Benissa build what are called, carafales: iron bar cages that allows them to get closer and see when the cows are released. Here you can see all the programming:
The Patron Saint’s Day Celebration in honor of Sant Vicent Ferrer in Teulada.
The festivities in Teulada are celebrated from April 25th through May 5th. It kicks off with activities such as a traditional game of pelota valenciana (Valencian handball) and parades with bands that accompany the festeros (residents in traditional costume) through the streets of Teulada. The town is filled with music and festivities that encourages participation from everyone. On Saturday, the popular Crowning of the Festival Queens event takes place and all of the festeros dress up to officially kick off the celebration.
In these festivals, you can find both religious events such as processions and offerings as well as more festive activities such as despertadas (the awakenings: where music, firecrackers, and bangers are heard throughout the town) and popular dinners. There is something for all ages: the little ones can enjoy the caceroladas (beating pots and pans), animation, and children’s playground, as well as the best orchestras and bands. You cannot miss the sounds of gunpowder with the mascletadas and fireworks displays.
The festivities wrap up with a running of the bulls for everyone to enjoy.
At Cumbre del Sol Residential Resort you can count on an abundance of traditional festivals all year long. Have you made a list yet of the ones you’d like to attend this spring?
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