SPANISH FIESTAS AND FESTIVALS ON THE CAMINO FRANCES

 

 

Over 15 000 fiestas and festivals are held in Spanish villages and towns throughout the year. Many are religious, celebrating local saints, some are Regional and others are National events such as Semana Santa (Easter), Corpus Christi and Christmas.

Prohibited during the forty years of the Franco era Carnaval is celebrated in many Spanish towns a week before Ash Wednesday.

January

5^th January is Three Kings Day procession.  In Spain it is the kings that bring the children their presents and although the official day is on 6^th January, the Procession of the Kings takes place the night before.   The 6^th January is a National holiday and many shops are closed.

April & May 

Some of Spain’s biggest festivals take place during April and May starting with Semana Santa or Holy Week which is celebrated all over the country.  Many shops will be closed and transport is scarce.

May or June 

Corpus Christi is celebrated around Spain.  The feast is celebrated on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday so the dates change each year.

July

St James’ Feast Day – 25^th July – is celebrated in most towns and villages along the Camino.

October

12^th - Dia de la Hispanidad - Spain's national day, also known as Columbus Day

November

All Saints' Day, celebrated throughout the country. Most shops will be closed. Spanish people from all over the country return to their birthplaces to remember their deceased relatives.

December

24^th Dcember - Christmas Eve (Nochebuena), a far bigger event than Christmas Day. Expect most shops to close early on the 24th and remain closed until the morning of the 26th.

25^th December - Christmas Day - a quiet day, with most shops closed, though many bars open in the afternoon.

28^th December - Santos Inocentes, Spain's version of April Fools' Day.

31 December - New Year's Eve (Nochevieja).

 

If you are walking the Camino Frances there is a good chance that you will come across a special feast day or festival in some of the towns villages.  Most small villages have their own, special feast days or festivals and some of these don’t appear on official guides to fiestas.

If the fiesta is a popular one, you might find it difficult to secure accommodation.  During San Fermin (the Running of the Bulls) in Pamplona, rooms are almost impossible to find even in surrounding villages and the costs triple or quadruple during the festival.

Another busy time is the September Wine Harvest Festival in Navarra.  Although most of the festivities are celebrated in Logroño, rooms are booked out in neighbouring villages and you might need to book rooms ahead of time during the weeklong festival.

The Camino Frances passes through four main Regions - Navarra, la Rioja, Castilla y Leon and Galicia.  Here are some of the many fiestas held in villages and towns along the Camino.  The list is far from complete and dates might change with each year.  If you would like to add a fiesta or festival, please let me know.

NAVARRA and LA RIOJA:

In La Rioja, Spain’s most famous wine-producing region, the fiestas are generally held towards the end of September especially around the 24th on St Matthew’s Day. The most celebrated, and biggest, of these is in Logroño. Here the grape harvest is commemorated for a whole week with parades, concerts, street theatre, ball games, bull fights, fireworks and wine tasting.

 

Valcarlos : Pilgrimage of La Magdalena : April 25

Valcarlos : Bolantes Luzaide : Sunday and Easter Sunday.

Valcarlos : Santiago : July 25

Burguete : Food Fair : September

Burguete : The bonfires of San Juan : Mid-summer night

Zubiri: San Esteban : August 3

 

Pamplona : San Fermin : July 7 for a week

Pamplona : San Saturnino : November 29

Muruzabal : San Esteban : August 3

Puente la Reina : Santiago : July 25

Puente la Reina : Pitchfork fiesta : September last week

Estella: Virgin of Puy : May 15

Los Arcos : San Vicente : January 22

Viana: San Felices O De La Fundación : February

Viana:  La Virgen De Cuevas : Easter Monday

Viana: Santa María Magdalena : July 22

Viana:  Virgen de Nieva: September 7 for one week

Logrono: St Barnabas (Patron Saint) : June 11

Logrono : Wine Harvest Festival : Mid September for 7 days

Najera: San Prudencio  : April 28

Najera : San Juan y San Pedro : June 24 to 29

Najera: San Juan Mártir y

Najera: Santa María La Real  16 to 19 September

Santo Domingo de la Calzada: Santo Domingo: May 12

 

CASTILLA and LEÓN

 

Villoria : Lunes de Aguas: April 8 – 12

Belorado :  la Virgen de Belen : January 25

Belorado: San Vitores : August 25 - 26

Belorado :Accion de Gracias: September  1^st Sunday 5 days

San Juan de Ortega: Romeria Monasterio de San Juan:June 1^st Saturday

Attapuerca: Battle Navarra vs Castilla August - penultimate Sunday

Attapuerca : Festival of Accion de Gracias :August 24 & 25^th

Burgos : San Anton : January  17

Burgos : San Lesmes : Last Sunday in January

Burgos : Carnaval : February

Burgos : Burgos Carnaval : Start of Lent

Burgos : Pedro and San Pablo : July 6 for one week

Hontanas : Immaculate Conception : December 8

Castrojeriz : San Juan  : June  

Castrojeriz : Garlic festival : July  18

Castrojeriz : El Sejo : September

Boadilla : San Genaro : September 19

Fromista : San Telmo: After Easter Sunday

Fromista : The Virgen del Otero : September 8

Villacarza del Sirga : Nuestra Señora del Rio : June 8^th – 10

Villacarza del Sirga : la Virgen Blanca : August 15

 

Carrion de los Condes  : Carnaval : Before Ash Wednesday

Carrion de los Condes  : Fiestas de San Zoilo: August

Carrion de los Condes : Our Lady of Bethlehem: September 8th

Sahagun : Romeria la Virgen del Puente/San Marcos : April 25

Sahagun: San Jaun : May 31 – 3rd June

Sahagun : Corpus Christi : June 10

Sahagun : San Antonio : June 13

Sahagun : Asuncion de Nuestra Señora : August

Sahagun : Pilgrimage of Bread & Cheese : October 5

Calzada del Coto : San Roque : August 16

Calzada del Coto : San Esteban : December 26

Bercianos : St Vincent : January 21 – 24

El Burgo Ranero : San Isidro  : May 15

El Burgo Ranero : San Pedro Apóstol : June 29

Mansilla de las Mulas  : Feast of Slaughter : February 10

Mansilla de las Mulas  : Dia De Asturias : August 15

Mansilla de las Mulas  : De La Virgen De Gracia : Sunday after 8 September

Leon : Carnaval : End January/1st week February

Leon : San Juan and San Pedro : June 21

Leon : San Marcelo : October: 28

Leon : San Froilán : October 5

La Virgen del Camino  : La Virgen: September 14 - 16

La Virgen del Camino : San Miguel: September 29th

La Virgen del Camino  : San Froilán : October 5th

 

Hospital de Orbigo: Romeria of Nuestra Señora del Rio: February 3

Hospital Órbigo : Honroso: End of June

Astorga: Carnaval: February

Astorga: Virgin of Castrotierra: June

Astorga: Fiestas of Astures & Romans: Last week July

Astorga: Santa Marta: August

Astorga: Romeria of la Zuiza/ Batalla de Clavijo: Every 3 years

Astorga: Santa Martas : Last Week of August

Santa Catalina de Somoza: Festival: August 1^st week

Riego de Ambrós: Corpus Christi's

Riego de Ambrós: Mary Magdalene: July 22

 

Molinaseca: Our Lady of Sorrows: August 15 - 18

Molinaseca: Water Festival: August 17

Ponferrada: Carnaval: February

Ponferrada: Noche Templaria : Various – summer

Ponferrada: Nra. Ms. de la Encina: September 2 to 9

Camponaraya: Virgin of Solitude: 3rd Sunday of September

Cacabelos: Bendición del Pan  : February  2

Cacabelos: Easter Monday

Cacabelos: The Festival of la Quinta: April 2 – 25

Cacabelos: Harvest Festival: August : Last Sunday

Cacabelos: Carnaval

 

Villafranca del Bierzo: Santo Tirso: January 28

Villafranca del Bierzo: Fiesta do Maio: May 1

Villafranca del Bierzo : Festival of the Tourist: August – 1st Weekend       

Villafranca del Bierzo : Santísimo Cristo de la Esperanza :14 September + 3 days

Trabadelo: St Tirso & St Antonio Abad: January 28 & 29

Trabadelo: San Nicolás de Bari: December 6^th

Ambasmestas: Virgen del Carmen : July 16

Vega de Valcarce: Santa Maria Magdalena:   August 1st Sunday

Vega de Valcarce : San Roque: August 16

Ruitelán: San Froilan: October

La Faba: San Andrés

GALICIA

 

Piedrafita O Cebreiro: Holy Miracle: September 8 – 9

Triacastela : San Mamede  : August 17

Sarria: Entroido en Sarria: February 19 – 20

Sarria: Medieval: June 23 - 25

Sarria : San Juan: June 22 – 25

Sarria: Santa Barbara : August 6 – 7

Portomarin: la Feria del Aguardiente : Easter Sunday

Portomarin: Cristo das Vitorias: September 1 – 3

Palas de Rei: San Cristobal: July

Palas de Rei: Honra Ó Ecce Homo: September 14 - 15        

Melide : Feast of St. Anthony   : June 13

Melide : Festividad del Carme: July 16

Melide : San Roque: August 15 to 21

Melide : Feast of San Caralampio: September 2nd Sunday

Arzua: Carme en Arzúa: June

 

Santiago: San Lázaro : April 11

Santiago : St. James : July 25 

Corcubion: Medieval Costa da Morte :          July 21 - 23

Muxia  : Romería de Nuestra Señora de la Barca : September

Fistera : Santísimo Cristo : April  21 – 15

 

  

Sources:

http://navarra.fiestas.net/

www.turismocastillayleon.com

www.leon.es/

www.feirasdegalicia.com/feria/31568

www.laboral-social.com/calendario-laboral-nacional-comunidades-autonomas-fiestas-locales.html

Photos:  GoSpain - www.gospain.org/   www.wikipedia.com