POPULAR FESTIVALS IN LA RIOJA
La Rioja is known for many aspects, but among them for its popular festivities, which increasingly attract a multitude of visitors and tourists to the different cities and towns of La Rioja.
Here are some of the most outstanding and popular festivals in La Rioja:
Los Danzadores de Anguiano, takes place on Sunday 21 May, from 21 to 24 July and the last weekend of September. It is a Festival of National Tourist Interest and Intangible Cultural Interest. Eight men dressed for the occasion in a costume consisting of a shirt, vest and wide skirt, on stilts, spinning down at high speed and playing castanets down seven steps that start in the Plaza de la Obra and end in the Calle Alta, to continue down the so-called Cuesta de los Danzadores.
Fiestas de San Mateo: this is one of the most popular festivities in La Rioja, which is celebrated in the city of Logroño in mid-September. For a week, the city is filled with music, dancing, fireworks, sports competitions and tastings of wines from the region. The festivities are brought to a close with the popular “quema de la cuba” (burning of the vat) after a parade of the peñistas through the center of the city. The Town Hall Square is the scene of the popular chupinazo, as well as a series of concerts of current groups in the Spanish music scene.
The Wine Battle: a few months ago we already did an article about the wine battle, because it deserves it. It is also known as Haro Wine Festival and is held in Haro on June 29th. It is a battle with red wine between the participants, who throw wine at each other until they are completely soaked. This popular festival has more and more followers, mainly among the international public.
On the other hand, there are the San Bernabé festivities in the capital of La Rioja, Logroño. The first is held on June 11, the feast of St. Barnabas, patron saint of the city, in commemoration of the victory during the siege of Logroño in 1521. They form, along with the Day of La Rioja, which is celebrated on the 9th, a festive bridge in the city. In 2015 it was declared a Festival of National Tourist Interest.
The tapas route: takes place in Calahorra during the month of May. The restaurants and bars of the town offer their most representative tapas and wines at affordable prices to encourage visitors to enjoy the city and discover its most emblematic places. It is a very popular festivity to taste the most autochthonous cuisine of the area.
Feast of San Juan: it is celebrated in practically all the municipalities on June 24. During the night, bonfires are lit in the streets and squares of the town and a popular festival is held. The most representative element is the fire because of the bonfires that are lit at night.
As you can understand there are a large number of festivities in La Rioja, so it is practically impossible to talk about all of them in a single article. In future posts we will go into more detail on some of them.
