FESTIVITIES

Sant Antoni Festivities

Dates: January.
The first reference to the Sant Antoni festivities in the counties of Castelló dates back to the 14th century. Vilanova d’Alcolea celebrates these festivities as a treasure it gifts to visitors. It is the wonderful combination of the religious tradition of venerating Sant Antoni, with the typical pagan ritual of the winter solstice, in the traditional “Matxà” in which a perfect symbiosis between animals and fire is achieved. In the midst of the winter cold, the explosion of fire and joy highlights the Mediterranean character of the local people in this festival that began in the mists of time. The festivities begin at dusk with the “Hoguera de los Mayorales” bonfire, which includes pyrotechnics. Afterwards, once night falls, it is time for the “Matxà”, which offers an impressive spectacle: the procession passes through all the streets of the village, leaping over the bonfires along the trail. Finally, once the “Matxà” is over, it is time for the “Tropell”, a very old horse race that ends in Carrer de los Mayorales street where the traditional Sant Antoni cakes are given out. The Sant Antoni festivities in Vilanova d’Alcolea were declared a Festivity of Provincial Tourist Interest in 2015.

Cultural Week

Dates: First week of August.
This is a set of cultural and recreational activities. All of the local associations and groups in the Citizens’ Forum for Agenda 21 for Culture participate in the Cultural Week programme.

Sant Bertomeu Patron Saint Festivities

Dates: From 18 to 30 August.
These are held in honour of Sant Bartomeu. The festivities notably include the “baile de plaça” and other dances, open-air celebrations, lunches and bullfighting shows.

Fava 365 Festival

Dates: April.
FAVA365 is a multidisciplinary art festival that has a specific theme each year: performing arts, plastic arts, visual arts, etc. Each year there are training workshops, a multitude of projects and artistic and collaborative residencies, discussions, exhibitions, performances, visits and excursions, among other activities.
The festival promotes the world of the arts, viewed as a journey of learning on an individual and collective level and of transforming the landscape, the ultimate objective of which is to show what has been created. A different and undoubtedly attractive festival.