Festival
La Tomatina, 25 August
Aug 16
The Tomatina is one of the Valencia region’s most well-known events.
Every last Wednesday in August, many thousands of people come from all over Spain (and increasingly from all over the world) to the town of Buñol for this huge tomato fight.
The battle commences at high noon and lasts for an hour. During this time tens of tonnes of over-ripe tomatoes are thrown in the town’s streets, where canny shop and home owners protect the fronts of their buildings with huge sheets of plastic.
The history of the Tomatina goes back to 1945, when a random fight between local festival goers happened to involve tomatoes. Over the years this confrontation became organised and now it is the main event of Buñol’s annual festivities.
You can travel from Valencia to the Tomatina by train. Make sure you wear clothes you’ll probably never be able to wear again. Swimming goggles and earplugs are good idea too. Route 66 Idiomas language school are organising a group trip. If you’d like to go, sign up in the office!
“Gran Nit” de Julio
Jul 13
Seen by many as the high point of the Feria de Julio, this Saturday night (17th) Valencia celebrates the “Gran Nit”. There will be dancing and music around the cathedral, in the Plaza de Ayuntamiento, and inside the City Hall and the Lonja from 8pm to midnight.
Route 66 Idiomas language school students might also like to take this opportunity to visit some of Valencia’s museums: six of them will open from 10pm to 2am. This year the IVAM is also taking part and the organizers hope that the events will beat last year’s attendance record of over 30,000 people.
As with every Saturday during the Feria, there will be a fireworks display at midnight at the Malvarrosa beach.
For more information, click here.
Feria de Julio
Jul 4
For Route 66 Idiomas language school students who aren’t going on holiday in July, there is plenty to see and do here in Valencia. The Feria de Julio once again offers a packed programme of events taking place all over the city.
Music lovers can enjoy a series of concerts in the Jardines de Viveros between the 8 and 24 July.
No Valencian public festival would be complete without fireworks, and there are free displays at the Malvarossa beach on Saturdays 10, 17 and 24 of July.
The 17 of July is the high point of the programme with the “Gran nit” – more details of that nearer the time.
As if that weren’t enough, there are also Arts and Crafts fairs, dance displays, and events for children. The fair comes to an end of the 25 July with the “Flower battle” where you can join 25,000 warriors pelting each other with 2,000 kilos of marigolds.
For the full programme and more information (in Spanish and Valencian), click here .
La noche de San Juan
Jun 21
The night of the 23rd June is “la noche de San Juan” (Midsummer’s night). In Valencia and other parts of Spain one of the most common customs is to celebrate the shortest night of the year with bonfires on the beach. The brave jump over the bonfires for luck. Those less brave but who still want to improve their fortune for the coming year jump over the first seven waves that come onto the beach after midnight.
For most it’s just another excuse for a party on the beach. Students at Route 66 Idiomas language school who want to join in should head down to the Malvarrosa beach on Wednesday night. One word of caution, if you’re not planning on walking or going by bike, check out the situation with public transport before you leave home. Strikes on the metro and buses are planned – but might get called off.
¡Feliz noche de San Juan! from the Route 66 team.
