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Wednesday 26th May:

7.00pm. The whole thing kicks off with rockets, the BOOM, BOOM, BOOM type, followed by:

7.30pm. A parade of “Giants and Big Heads” and three bands (great for kids & kids at heart), which starts at Avda. de Andalucia and comes into town via Camino de Coin, C/. Nueva, C/. San Sebastian, then past Plaza Baja, along C/. Cilla, down Camino de Gerald Brenan, left at the Cruz de la Misíon (Stone Cross), down Ctra. de Cártama and into the Feria Park.

9.30pm. You should by this time have moved to the Feria Park (known as “Feria Ground” among the English), for the official opening of the Feria, with fireworks.

10.00pm. The inauguration of the “Casetta Municipal” and “Caseta de la Juventud”. These “Casetas” are enormous marquees provided by the Town Hall for your entertainment. There are other casetas provided by other organisations

10.30pm. In the Casetta Municipal, live music, followed by:

11.00pm. The election of the Feria Queen, her maids of honour and “Mr Feria”

Then entertainment going on ’till late.

Thursday 27th:

1.00pm. The old folks lunch party in the Caseta Municipal. If you attend the lunch party, please tell us about it on here! There’s entertainment, including a comedian!

10.30pm. Performance by “A Compás”.

00.30am. Young Alhaurino group “Cafe Columbo”.

Friday 28th:

10.30am. Official parade of the Feria Queen, Maids and the band of San Sebastian.

12.00 noon. Mass in the Parish Church (Plaza Baja).

1.00pm. Official inauguration of the Daytime Feria and performances on stage in the Plaza Baja through the afternoon.

Plaza Baja and surrounding streets (C/. Cilla, C/. San Sebastian, C/. Real and C/. Nueva will be packed with people enjoying food and drink from the outdoor bars. One of the favourites is the Partido Popular bar outside the bank in C/. San Sebastian, as it is usually cheapest! Bar Sardina is usually the loudest – and that’s loud!

10.30pm. Concert in the Caseta Municipal. ‘Night for the Young’, this will go on late and most likely be very loud if previous years are anything to go by! Any one know what “Triboo Pop” is?

Saturday 29th:

1.30pm. Entertainment on stage in the Plaza Baja all afternoon. Comments above about the outdoor eating and drinking on Friday afternoon apply to Saturday too.

6.30pm. Bullfight in the bullring at the lower end of the Feria Park. See posters around town for more details. It’s on horseback this year, spectacular!

10.30pm Music in the Caseta Municipal.

00.30am. Entertainment in the Caseta Municipal “Joana Jiménez”.

Sunday 30th:

7.00am. Loose heifers in the bullring. Can’t tell you anything about this, it’s much too early for me. Post an entry here, if you go!

10.00pm. Entertainment in the Caseta Municipal.

01.00am. End of Feria and fireworks.

Day of the Cross. This is organised by the Cofradía of the Santa Vera Cruz church – the ‘Greens’ – and has events for approx 2 weeks. You can view the complete programme here.
Saturday the 1st May is the noisiest and one of the most visible events of the period.
It starts officially at 8.00am (but in reality probably earlier) with a convoy of cars and trucks heading round the southern bypass, blowing their horns and letting off rockets (the type that rise vertically a few hundred feet then go BOOM).
The convoy heads out into the countryside to collect rosemary and they get back to town sometime around or after mid-day – this is not precise – but you will hear them coming back well in advance of seeing them! Last year they were somewhat late, due to the the roadworks on the Mijas road and as the roadworks are ongoing, I expect this year will be little different.
Returning along the southern bypass and down Avenida de la Libertad they arrive at the Cruz de la Misión (Stone Cross) roundabout, where they turn left up Gerald Brenan horns blowing – a lot of vehicles have extra horns fitted – and do a circuit through the old town, scattering rosemary as they go. They do a full circuit back to Cruz de la Misión, then maybe some do a detour up Gerald Brenan towards Málaga, or down Cartama road. While all this is going on, there may be some bloke on the route letting off rocket after rocket – BOOM, BOOM, BOOM.
By mid afternoon the rockets and rosemary will have run out and normality returns. A lot of the participants and audience will have retired to a bar. Bar Sanchez on the corner of Calles Fuengirola and Torremolinos is as good a place to find them as any, it may be full of people, all dressed in green! Enjoy the day.

For more information on Saturday 2nd May and Sunday 3rd events, see the programme via the link above, or post a question on Forum Alhaurin and I can fill you in with the highlights.

Do not forget that Monday 3rd May is a holiday, no shops or banks will be open.

This year for Semana Santa I am only giving a brief summary of the main processions and performances, indicating which church, where you will see it and the scheduled (note “scheduled” – it will often be somewhat later) commencement time.

For more detail you can view the two programmes, the Greens here and the Purples here. Anyway, here’s the cut down version, in English:

Saturday 27th March. 9.00pm. The Greens. Procession. The Holy Sepulchre will journey from the Santa Vera Cruz church to mark the 50th anniversary of its re-establishment, via Convento, Plaza Alta, Cruz, Real, San Sebastian, to Plaza Baja. Then back from Plaza Baja via San Sebastian, Piedras and Convento.

Wednesday 31st March. 10.30pm. The Greens. Live performance on stage outside the Santa Vera Cruz church.

Thursday 1st April. 6.30pm. The Greens. Procession of Saint Mary via Convento, Plaza Alta, Cruz, Real, San Sebastian, Piedras and Convento.

Thursday 1st April. 9.30pm. The Purples. Live performance on stage in the Plaza Nueva (part 1).

Thursday 1st April. 10.15pm. The Purples. Procession of Our Father Jesus of Nazareth (as a Captive). Route: Plazoleta de San Sebastián, Calle Nueva, Callejoncillo, Plaza Alta, Calle Cruz, Calle Real, Calle San Sebastián, Plazoleta de San Sebastián.

Friday 2nd April. 5.30pm The Purples. Live performance on stage in the Plaza Nueva (part 2). This is followed at 6.30pm by a procession with Jesus with the cross and Mary of Great Sorrow. Route: Plazoleta de San Sebastián, Calle San Sebastián, Calle Real, Calle Cruz, Plaza Alta, Callejoncillo, Calle Nueva, Plazoleta de San Sebastián.

Friday 2nd April. 10.00pm. The Greens. Live performance on stage outside the Santa Vera Cruz church, followed by a procession via Convento, Plaza Alta, Cruz, Real, San Sebastian, Piedras and Convento back to Santa Vera Cruz.

Saturday 3rd April. Midnight. Both the Greens and the Purples have their live re-enactments of the Resurrection of Christ at the same time.
The Greens perform outside the Santa Vera Cruz church.
The Purples are in the Plaza Nuevo.
Your choice which one you want to watch.

Sunday 4th April. 11.00am. Purples. Choral celebration at the San Sebastián church.
1.00pm Purples. Procession with Jesus Resurrected from San Sebastián church via Calle San Sebastian, Plaza Baja, Cilla, Cruz, Real, and San Sebastian back to the church.

The latest information is that the postponed carnival will be Monday 1st March.

Update 26/2/2010: the above has been confirmed, the Carnival is now on the holiday for Andalucia Day, Monday 1st March.

The stage has been re-erected in the Plaza Baja today and the Local Police have replaced their No Parking signs on the route, all ready for the event, so as long as rain holds off…

Due to the inclement weather, the carnival was postponed at the last minute. It should now be next Saturday, 27th Feb, but if this changes I will do another post.

Not all the participants can have been informed, as several ‘teams’ turned up and some did their ‘acts’ in the Plaza Baja before leaving.

For me, the most entertaining was a group of ’senior citizen’ ladies, who were dressed in gowns and sashes for ‘Miss Universe’, ‘Miss World’, ‘Miss Andalucia’, ‘Miss Malaga’ and several other Miss’ who decided to do the circuit round town anyway, and ended up on the stage in Plaza Baja doing their performance, to a small but enthusiastic audience. They certainly enjoyed themselves.

Sunday 21st Feb, starting in Plaza Baja at 4.30pm, is the Big Procession of the Carnival and Funeral of the Sardine.

The route is: Plaza Baja, Calle Real, Cruz, Plaza Alta, Piedras, and back to Plaza Baja via San Sebastian.

On returning to Plaza Baja there will be public recognition of the best performances of the procession as well as the traditional burning of the sardine and a tasting of ‘buñuelos y chocolate’ for those present.

The earlier post was written before the official programme was released and is based on the tradition for this annual event.

However, now the programme has been published, you should be aware, if you wish to view the procession on Saturday evening, that the route has been significantly changed due to the roadworks around town, particularly those by the Town Hall. It is now shown as:

Avda. de Mijas, Calvario, Huerto Mateo, Calvario, and Ctra. de Mijas to La Mota.

The Mass will be at 8.30pm and entertainment from 11.00pm. Everything else as in the earlier post.

The full programme is here:

The 2009 Alhaurin Romería is Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th September.

At 5.30pm on Saturday the participants will meet at the Church of Santo Cristo de las Agonías. That is the tiny church on the Mijas road, 100 metres from the Tobacconist  junction. The transport will be very varied and well decorated, you may see carts pulled by oxen, donkey, horse or tractor, as well as cars and lorries. Many people will be on horseback and wearing traditional costume. After a blessing at 6.00pm, the ‘Romeros’ will start their journey. From the little church they will travel through town, the route being:  Avda. de Mijas, C/. Convento, Plaza Alta, Cruz, Cilla, Plaza Baja, San Sebastian, Nueva, Camino de Coin and Variante back up to the Avda. de Mijas. They then travel out to La Mota, where there is the official Mass at 8.00pm.

At 10.00pm the festivities start in earnest with entertainment well into the early hours.

On Sunday the romeros will enjoy a huge paella at 2.30pm before making their way back to the Church of Santo Cristo de las Agonías at 5.00pm.

The programme for this event has just been released, and as always I give only a summary. However I can provide a street map of the town here, so that you can follow the route if you choose to.

Friday 7th August, 10.00pm at the Parish Church (Plaza Baja) for those that have ‘come of age’ in the last year.

Monday 10th August 9.15pm, Our Lady of Grace leaves the Parish Church and travels to Calle Fuengirola, where she has her first overnight stay. The route of her journey is: Plaza de Perdon, Iglesia, Avda. Alcalde Antonio Solano, Cristo de las Agonias, Plaza Chica, Gerald Brenan, Avda de la Constitución, Torremolinos, Fuengirola. She is accompanied by the band of Santa Vera Cruz (the ‘Greens’) and carried by residents of Calle Fuengirola.

Many of the streets she passes through en route will have been decorated by the residents with plants, foliage and scenes from life and their balconies hung with decorative textiles.

The residents of C/. Fuengirola will have their own bar(s) set up and will party the night away in the street.

Tuesday 11th August 8.30pm Mass in C/. Fuengirola in Honour of our Patron.
9.15pm She travels to the Casa de la Cultura in C/. San Sebastian.
The route is: C/. Fuengirola, Gerald Brenan, Callejon de Lopez, Rosales, Plaza Baja, San Sebastian. She is accompanied by the band of Nuestre Padre Jesus Nazareno (the ‘Purples’).

Wednesday 12th August 8.30pm Mass in the Casa de la Cultura.
9.15pm Our Patron travels from the Casa de Culture to the Centro de Acogida Infantil Ntra. Sra. de Gracia (‘The Nuns’) near the bottom of C/. Albaicin. The route is: Calle San Sebastian, Altillo, Puerta de la Villa, Real, Cruz, Albaicin. The band is Asociación Musical Manuel Amador.

Thursday 13th August 8.30pm Mass in the Centro de Acogida Infantil.
9.15pm Back to the Parish Church for our Patron the Lady of Grace. The route is short: C/. Albaicin, Cilla, Plaza Baja. The band is from the Santa Vera Cruz.
10.30pm In Plaza Baja: Trophies are presented to the winners of various sporting activities and there are performances by:
-Flamenco Choir of Our Lady of Grace.
-Dance School “Lourdes la Flamenca”.
-Group “Los Pioneros”

Friday 14th August 12.00 noon. Pealing of bells indicates rejoicing for the eve of the Day of our Patron.
9.30pm In the Parish Church, a presentation and offering to Our Mother of Grace of all those ahaurinos and alhaurinas born between last years celebration and this.

Saturday 15th August 08.00am Launching of rockets (BOOM BOOM) signal the rejoicing of the Day of our Patron Saint the Virgin of Grace.
11.30am Solemn Eucharist in Honour and Glory of the Patron Saint and Perpetual Mayoress of Alhaurin el Grande.
8.00pm The three bands which accompanied Our Lady on her travels are visiting the Parish Church.

9.00pm Procession of the image of Our Lady of Grace under a canopy from Plaza Baja, San Sebastian, Piedras, Cruz, Real, San Sebastian and back to Plaza Baja and the Parish Church. The procession will include the Queen of the Ferria and Maids of Honour, Mister Feria and boys and girls in typical costumes of the neighbourhoods visited by Our Lady, together with the various bands.

This is an early warning for the next event in our town, the celebration to honour the Virgin of Grace, the town’s Patron.

On the evenings of 10th, 11th and 12th August, the image of Our Lady of Grace will be carried from one neighbourhood of the town to another, staying overnight at each venue. She starts from the Parish Church on the 10th and is carried back there on the evening of the 13th. Well worth seeing. The actual day of Nuestra Señora de Gracia is the 15th August.

As this post is just dates for diaries I will elaborate more nearer the time.