WITH a chill in the air, longer nights and twinkling lights throughout the city, the festive season is certainly in the air. Torrevieja’s ‘Fiestas de la Inmaculada’ is underway and runs until after the long weekend holidays, to December seventh. There are free events, exhibitions, children’s plays, concerts and even a cycling day to keep you occupied. Certainly; something for everyone.
A full list of events can be found in the new guide to the Fiestas, a lavish production available throughout the city from corporate offices and other strategic outlets. With the International Gala starting things off on Wednesday night, 17:30-hrs on Thursday evening begins with the traditional walking through the streets of the Giants and Big Heads, in pied piper tradition, followed by the city’s children, with thousands of sweets handed out to all of the followers and onlookers. They walk everyday throughout the activities and leave from the Town Square.
Many of the events take place in the specially erected Marquee Tent to be found in the Port’s Fairground area. The artists are all well known Spanish acts but for the ridiculously inexpensive price of just €5:00 you can immerse yourself in many different styles of Spanish music. Leading the pack is the Des O’Connor of Spanish TV, Bertin Osborne (Friday, 3 December), vocalist, actor and TV Presenter, who is on stage at 22.30-hrs. The following night, the ‘Delinguentes’ perform along with flamenco guitarist Tomatito at 23:00-hrs. Monday the area kicks off at midnight with local DJ’s peforming and things pick up again on Tuesday, 7 December at 23:00, when million album selling pop-rock band ‘Pignoise’, led by Álvaro Benito and Maldita Nerea are on stage.
Tickets for these concerts can be purchased at Servicam, Torrevieja’s Municipal Box office outside the theater plus the Sprinter sports store in Torrevieja, Elche and Orihuela. And don’t forget that Dramatic License are performing ‘Funny Ha Ha’ at the Virgen del Carmen and Richard Street and the Temptations are on at the Orihuela Costa Resort on Friday also.
But that is not all that is happening over the week. On Friday at 20:00-hrs in the Municipal Theatre there is a DVD presentation, highlighting 50-years of Torrevieja to celebrate the ‘Dia del Ausente’. To accompany this, there are a series of concerts throughout the week plus an exhibition of photographs in the Vista Alegre Exhibition Centre from December 7th through January 7, 2011.
For Dog Lovers, there is a Dog Agility show, on Saturday at 15:00-hrs in Urbanization Limonar and San Luis. At 17:00-hrs, the fabulous Floral procession takes place, along with members of the expatriate community, The Ex-Servicemans Association, Torry Army and Los Costaleros, finishing at the Inmaculada Church. The Belen exhibition will also open on Saturday evening at 20:00-hrs.
Sunday morning starts bright and early at 8.30 as the dog agility trials continue while at 10:30 there is a cycle race through the city starting from Avda. Gregorio Maranon. At noon, Associations day is celebrated in the Marquee Tent, which highlights the many different association within the city while at the same time the Giants and Big Heads are on the streets again plus services in the Inmaculada Church. The loud fireworks will also be let off at 14:00-hrs in the Port area.
The Children’s Parade starts at 16:00-hrs on Sunday afternoon and makes it way from the Municipal Theatre to the Virgen del Carmen. The evening concludes with the performance by Pignoise at 23:00-hrs.
The schools are all closed from Monday December 6 through Wednesday and so on Monday morning there is a bicycle ride though the city, with registration from 9:00-am. There are a full range of activities throughout the day plus something specially for Torrevieja’s youth taking place in the Marquee tent from 17:30 featuring computer games, human football, DJ’s and much more.
There are many other activates over the next two days, finishing with the Diego Rameriz awards on December 7 and for the youth and a late night DJ performance at the Marquee from 23:00-hrs. More information can be found at www.hijosdelinmaculada.es or by picking up a glossy copy of the Fiestas Patronales en Honor a la Inmaculada Concepcion.
