HERE WE TRY TO KEEP YOU INFORMED OF UP AND COMING EVENTS AND ATTRACTIONS IN OUR AREA

APRIL 1st to 8th 2012 – SEMANA SANTA (Easter Week) – Celebrations in all Spanish towns and villages start with the Palm Parade on Sunday 1st with major parades taking place on the following weekend. The parades can be sombre affairs but are spectacular nonetheless, with Friday being the best day, all the floats take part. In Torrevieja the Friday parade starts from the church square around 8pm.

APRIL 19th -22nd AND 26th – 29th – TORREVIEJA – Spring Tapas Trail – Bi-annual event where various cafes and bars offer different tapas every day with a drink for 2€ a pop. Good fun and a great way to discover some hidden gems in the smaller streets of Torry. Make sure you get your card stamped in at least 10 venues for a chance to win big prizes.  Route and cards available from Tourist Info and participating bars.

MAY 9th – 13th 2012 – FERIA DE MAYO, TORREVIEJA - Annual spring fair celebrating all things Andalucian with street performers, horse parades, craft stalls, c oncerts and bullfights.   Busiest and showiest events at the weekend, especially when traditionally dressed locals on horseback and in carriages parade through the streets and show off their equestrian skills in the fairground. Not to be missed!! For dates and  programme keep an eye on  http://feriademayotorrevieja.com

JUNE 3rd 2012 – QUEEN´S JUBILEE STREET PARTY, TORREVIEJA – From 5pm in the Parc de Naciones, bring along a picnic, don your best red, white and blue outfit and wave the flag for good old Queenie, 60 years on the throne, gawd bless´ er!!! Tables and chairs provided and there will be a bar, music, family fun, games and a finale concert by the Phoenix concert band. Sounds like fun…

SEPTEMBER 21st to 30th 2012- ROMANS AND CARTHAGINIANS – CARTAGENA – So-o-o worth a visit on any day, this is a huge event which re-enacts the Roman conquest of Cartagena in 209AD. The Romans camp outside of town for the durat ion where there are markets stalls, taverns and tradesmen typical of the time. Fanstastic costumes, with hundreds of participants, daily parades and battle enactments throughout the fiesta. Full schedule of events and loads more info can be found in English on the offical website www.carthaginesesyromanos.es

SEPTEMBER 21st  to OCTOBER 3rd – SAN MIGUEL FIESTAS – Annual bonanza in honour of the town´s Patron Saint San Miguel. Inaugural open air all-night disco with live bands and concerts on most nights throughout the fiestas, either in the fairground or in the Plaza de la Libertad. Events and parades include Float and Fancy Dress Parade, Tapas Trail, Crazy Car Races, Horse Show, Paella Gigante and the grand Town Procession on the last Saturday which ends with a huge firework display and street party.  The locals are very happy to include “foreigners” in their jollies so get up there and enjoy the fun.

Try this link for detailed listings of concerts, workshops, exhibitions, dance and other local info http://www.hotcosta.com/Torrevieja.eventlist

A cautionary note: The information on this page is, as far as we can possibly tell, accurate. However, Spanish event planning is s ometimes a haphazard affair and exact dates and times have been known to change.

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FEBRUARY 3rd to 5th – ORIHUELA ME DIEVAL MARKET – If you go to only one Medieval Market make it this one, its the biggest and also the best around in our opinion. Its held in the old town so you can really believe yo u have stepped back in time as you stroll the narrow streets amongst falconers, pedlars and minstrels (not the chocolate variety) and a myriad of food and craft stalls hawking their wares. Watch the bakers, chocolate-makers, brewers and apothocaries producing their wares in the old fashioned way and marvel at the human pyramid builders, a mad local tradition often reaching 5 or 6 layers.  Dance, music and falconry demos tak e place all day on the stage in the square.

FEBRUARY 11th to MARCH 5th – TORREVIEJA CARNIVAL – Parades and party nights in true Rio style, full programme available from town halls and tourist offices. The parades on 27th Feb at 4pm and 5th March at 10pm,  are particularly spectacular and well worth seeing with huge floats and stunning costume dancers.

MAY 2nd – CARAVACA de la CRUZ – Caballos de Vino (Wine Horse festival)/ Moors and Christians – You gotta get up early for this one but its well worth the effort. The fun starts with the highly decorated wine horses parade and races through the streets. In the afternoon the Holy Cross is taken in procession from the Sanctuary to the Parish of San Salvador and Moors & Christians re-enact battles and scenes from historic events. Parking can be a bit of a pain so probably its best to do this on a coach trip. Cheap as chips at 12€ and you can have a drink or three! Call David´s Coaches on 966785910 or check out the website for this and other fantastic days out www.coachtripsonline.com

MARCH 15th to 19th 2012 – FALLAS WEEK, VALENCIA – Very noisy and sleepless week incorprating a flower festival, parades, massive bonfires with over 700 floats and ninots (effigies), all of which goes up in smoke at midnight on the last day with deafening mascletas (gunpowder) & fireworks all week. Spain´s biggest, loudest, longest and craziest party – a bucket-list event!!

MARCH 17th – ST PATRICK´S DAY  – VARIOUS LOCATIONS – Paddy´s Day is celebrated all over the area by ex-pats and locals alike. Events planned this year include the annual 3-day event in Playa Flamenca with outdoor bars, market stalls, live bands and dance shows, Irish dancing and music all day from local radio station, Excite FM. New location in front of Lidl on the N332. On 17th March there is also a parade and all-day party on the strip at Cabo Roig. Not to be out-done the Spanish village of Los Montesinos hosts a 2-day St Patrick´s Fiesta on 16th and 17th March on the sports pitch near the Town Hall.

JUNE 24th – FIESTA DE SAN JUAN, ALICANTE – Carnaval parades and the burni ng of the Hogeras to end a week of fireworks and all-night partying.

JULY 2nd to JULY 31st – SAN JAVIER JAZZ FESTIVAL - An annual event featuring open-air concerts with a top notch bill of international singers and musicians. A must-do for jazz, blues, hip-hop and soul music lovers.

JULY 31st – BEACH PARTY – TORREVIEJA – At the Playa Acequion, live bands all day and into the night. Starts around midday.