Activities in Valencia during Fallas
Fallas are a traditional valencian festivity that takes place annually, from the 1st to the 19th of march. During this festivity, Valencia is transformed by a unique atmosphere, where music and celebrations can be found in each corner of the city. A combination of tradition, art and culture - named human patrimony by UNESCO on 30/10/2016- Fallas, attract visitors throughout the world to the city of Valencia.
During the festivities, access to the city centre is mainly pedestrian (the parking services in Apartments Downtown will not be available). We reccommend you to enjoy walking through the city. Keep your look out for the Verbenas, located in tents around the city, the fallas comissions offer activities, orchestras and discomobile where valencians and visitors can experience the atmosphere of fallas. The history of Fallas goes back to the tradition of carpentry guilds to gather unwanted parafernalia and their 'parots' (gadgets which held their lamps); to set them on fire, simbolizing the arrival of spring. In fact, the word 'fallas' comes from the latin term 'facula' which means torch. Later on, the citizens granted a critical-sociocultural nature to the monuments (also known as fallas), making the festivity an original way of artistic and cultural expression. Nowadays, the monuments are made of different figures named 'ninots', which represent scenes and characters of current interest.
As well as the monuments found throughout the city, there are other particularities of this festivity to be mentioned:
The illuination during Fallas is in itself a beautiful display. The lighting of the street lights takes place the 8th of March (20:00 to 21:00). The streets transform with a combination of lights, colours and visual effects. The four fallas with the most famous illumination shows are: The falla Cuba-Puerto rico and the falla Cuba-Literato Azorín (Calle de Cuba); the falla Sueca-Literato Azorin (Calle de Sueca); and the falla Malvarrosa- A Perez Cavite (Avenida Malvarrosa). For more information on show times and lighting information (https://www.valenciabonita.es/2019/02/14/encendido-luces-fallas-2019/).
The typical festivity food is Hot Chocolate with churros, buñuelos and porras. You will find food stalls where you can buy freshly made churros on the streets of the city, during the day and night.
The Mascletá is a spectacle of firecrackers typical of fallas. From the 1st to the 19th of March, at 14:00, a Mascletá takes place in the City Hall plaza. Nevertheless, from the 16th of march, most fallas commissions offer their own mascletá in each falla. An outstanding pyrotechnic show of noise, colours and smoke that lasts five to seven minutes. Among others, we should point out the mascletá in Falla Obispo Amigó-Cuenca (Calle Sant Josep de Calassanç), from the 16th to the 19th of march at 14:30. * If you are interested in enjoying a Mascletá in the City Hall -from the heights of a balcony-, please let us know.
The Castillos are firework shows that take place in the Paseo de la Alameda from the 15th to the 18th of marzo, at 00:00 at night. This audiovisual spectacle is one of the most impressive events of the festivities. The beauty of the colors and shapes sketched on the sky, as well as the pyrotechnic sounds, create a unique experience for spectators. Given the popularity of the event, it is reccommended that you arrive to the site with time to spare. On the night of march the 18th, at 01:30, the Nit del Foc will take place; an outstanding firework show to send the festivities off in an incredible way.
The Ofrenda de las flores, is sentient fallas event that takes place the 17th and 18th of march. During the Ofrenda, each member of all commissions follow a trail -with a bouquet of flowers- to the Plaza de la Virgen, where the Virgin of the Desamparados is honored. The streets of Calle San Vicente and Calle de la Paz, are key points of the trail. Each bouquet of flowers carried by each fallero, is then used to decorate a giant figure of the virgin, conferring a beautiful red, white and pink mantle. Definitely worth seeing.
The Nit de les Albaes, is an Fallas event that takes place in the same district where Apartments Downtown are located. It is an exciting tradition where the Seu-Xerea-Mercat group participates (the group is formed by thriteen of the oldest fallas commissions). In the Nit de les Albaes, the participants come together in Plaza de la Virgen to offer a musical spectacle to honour the Virgin of the Desamparados.
The Cabalgata del Foc takes place on march 19th at 19:00. This parade is made of '300 fire demons', musicians and dancers; and it is a whole experience of colors and lights. The route begins in Calle Ruzafa, continues throughout Calle Colon and ends in Plaza de la Porta del Mar. This parade anounces the arrival of the Cremá and the end of the festivities, a unique event where fire is the protagonist.
On March 19th, the Cremá takes place, and all the fallas monuments - with the exception of those 'ninots' which have been 'pardoned'- are cremated. The purification through the fire of the Cremá is a valencian tradition that signals the end of Fallas. The Cremá of the small fallas begins at 22:00, ending with the Cremá of the small falla in the City Hall at 22:30. Later that night, at 00:00, the Cremá of the big fallas take place, followed by the falla winner of the first price, which will be cremated at 00:30. Finally, at 01:20 - following the fireworks of the Nit del Foc- the big falla in the City Hall is cremated.
For more information, you can find the festivities' programe (Programa Fallero 2019) with the dates and exact times of each event during this years' Fallas: https://www.distritofallas.com/fallas-2019/programa-fallas-de-valencia/
