On the first of March is started with a welcme festival by the Serrano Gate, where the people of Valencia announce the Fiesta and invite all the people from over the bridges to come and join them. The streets were heaving so we decided to stay on our balcony and hopefully see something. The fireworks at midnight were brilliant and were followed by dressed up people and marching bands.
This was going to be the norm from this day.
All over the city there were crews setting up lights and marquees on ever corner. Las Fallas is a fiesta for the people of Valencia. It was never intended as a tourist spectacule. Each of the Barrios (districts of the city), have Fallas committees which spend the year raising money and designing their own Fallas Ninots (more of that later. It is a real community effort, from children to grown ups.
This year the theme was Unesco.
The Mascleta is held every lunch time in Plaza Ajustamente. The central square is fenced off and at 2pm an artillery barrage occurs. It is sponsored by different organisations and builds up to a crescendo on the last time. At the beginning of the March you can easily walk into the plaza to feel the display, by the mid March there are so many people you cannot get near it.
They reckon that 1 million people are in Valencia for the final weekend.
They reckon that 1 million people are in Valencia for the final weekend.
The childrens parades go on for a few days and the Ninot competition is held to find the finest childrens Ninot in the city.
Throughout the week more statues go up, the lights go on and you see more ladies dressed up.
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