The festivities light up Bizkaia on the way to Bilbao’s Aste Nagusia
Tradition rules, and in those we walk. Obediently, we look towards neighborhoods and towns that give it their all in the first part of August, during their festivals, in case they haven’t been able to go on vacation or have already returned. San Lorenzo, San Roque and Andramari await the starting signal, so whether to wear a txapela or a pamela depends on the day and on you.
From August 3 to 14
Getxo
Sales in the San Lorenzo market.
Inaugurates the festive list of
Getxo the neighborhood of Romo, from August 3 to 7, with the chupinazo and proclamation at 7:30 p.m. in Kolas Plaza. At 10:00 p.m. Las Fellini will be in Ganeta Plaza. Solidarity talo, Basque crafts workshop, putxeras contest, reggae festival…, the possibilities are piling up. The second appointment is the Old Port festivities from August 10 to 14. Better enclave you will not find. The most anticipated, Pajama Day. Bring out your best nightwear, but not the sequined ones. We refer to the most elegant bedding to metamorphose into one of the most original appointments of the summer. If you are shy you can choose quieter traditions such as Basque music, popular dances and competitions in the port with the cucaña and the raised ones as queens. At night the concerts await… and the bars. To top it off, the reggae festival (August 6) with Roy Ellis, Natty B and Trikoma. Without leaving Getxo, on the 10th the massive agricultural market of San Lorenzo is held in Algorta.
From August 4 to 11
Sodupe (Güeñes)
Sheepdog contest.
August 10 is the big day of
Sodupe because on that day, although in the year 258, the saint died after the persecution unleashed by the emperor Valerian. On a fiery grill. His story seems contradictory to the revelry that unleashes this party, but honoring someone means celebrating him and with joy, better. In addition, for beautiful tears San Lorenzo already has those of the Perseids. But we specify. The important thing begins on the 5th at eight o’clock with the descent of comparsas and the float contest. Half an hour later they will read the proclamation and launch the chupinazo. Followed by a pilgrimage in the Herriko plaza. And more concerts. On the 6th, they organize not only the marmitako contest, but also the 8th goitiberas descent (4:00 p.m.) and the sheepdog contest (6:30 p.m.). For the 7th they expect talo and txakoli tasting and meat paella contest at noon. To call for laughter, a humorous rally in the Herriko Plaza (5:30 pm) and a humorous ‘Txow’ in the Txosnagune (10:00 pm).
The costumes are made on the 9th, and on the 10th the tortilla contest is added for those who are hungry and sangria for those who are thirsty. In addition, a performance by Goazen at the Txosnagune (6:30 pm) and by the Super Hollywood orchestra plus DJ (10:30 pm). A day later, in San Lorenzillo, gastronomy returns with a talo workshop in the Herriko plaza (10:00 am) and a contest of squid in its ink (12:00 pm). At 7:30 p.m., Voces Navarras performs and the festivities say goodbye at midnight with the burning of Lontxo in the Txosnagune, popular hot chocolate and a DJ.
The Andramari neighborhood turns to
celebrations in honor of Our Lady of Agirre and of the Snows. They start on August 5 with chupinazo and kalejira at ten. At 11.45 there is an aurresku of honor and dances with Aratz Dantza Taldea. Rural sports occupy the afternoon, then comes the music with the Gaupasa group from 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. After the ten o’clock bull of fire, at 11:30 p.m. Mrs. Klam and Oxabi play. On the 6th, from ten o’clock, an appointment more than expected with the popular cross in the neighborhood, which celebrates its 33rd edition. And once again one of the great events, the XLVII Family and Youth Tortilla Championship. The kids have their place in the playground at noon and the water park at five, plus a children’s disco at eight. The day ends with a concert by La Topadora at 11:00 p.m. The goodbye that few want to hear will be on the 7th. The most important thing. LX Paella Contest from eleven o’clock. The big farewell with a fire bull.
From August 5 to 10
Astrabudua (Erandio)
The dance of the Era or Larrain Dantza.
We are going to Erandio, to
Astrabudua. Descent on the 5th, at 7:00 p.m., and chupinazo, at 8:30 p.m., will mark the starting gun. Before, at 11:30, they prepare the ‘txikitxupin’. From then on, the acts follow one another with Larrain Dantza (8:45 p.m.), disco (10:00 p.m.), concerts (10:30 p.m.) and chicharrillo (10:30 p.m.). On Saturday the 6th the little ones have ‘Txikileku’ at eleven o’clock, and at the same time the appointment with the marmitako begins. You may be interested in the popular race at 6:30 p.m., the disco at 10:00 p.m. and the concert at 11:30 p.m.
The food returns to star on Sunday 7 with the paella contest from eleven. They also make room for the gymkhana txiki at 12.00, the herri kirolak at 1.00 and the bilbainadas at 8.30. More palate proposals. Tortilla contest (11.00) and cakes (12.00) on the 9th. Disco party at 6.30pm, in case you are one of those who appreciate moving your body and playback at 10.15pm for those faithful to the artist. And on the 10th, the big day, a music band at one o’clock and, in the afternoon, before the farewell at 11:45 p.m., an appointment with the Trabudu Dantzari Taldea dances (7:00 p.m.).
From August 11 to 17
Ondarroa
Ondarroa street dyed blue.
The most important appointment
Ondarroa It takes place at midnight on the 14th. It is the descent of Leokadi together with the Kortxeleko Mamuak from the church of Andra Mari. Legend has it that Leokadi was a young girl who loved fun. One night, when she returned home with a friend, she disobeyed an ancient warning: if you walk around the temple three times, the sculptures that adorn it, the Kortxeleko Mamuak, will drop a chain and destroy you in stone. The girl covered two laps, on the third she disappeared. But it always comes back on August 14, when the stones are defined in skin to animate Andramaxak.
The same procession of characters closes the festive circle ascending to the church on the 17th at night. That same day the day of the sailor is celebrated, the town wears blue, imitating the arrantzales. In the middle of both dates, many hours of fun await with activities such as the marmitako contest, music, Basque tradition, sports…
From August 11 to 17
Portugalete
San Roque It is a classic of the Biscayan festive calendar, so much so that it even has pre-festivals between August 11 and 13. For those days, as a way of warming up, there are scheduled concerts, children’s activities, the kronoescalada for gangs up the steep slopes of the town, rural sports or the opening of the medieval market. The strong begins on the 14th with the first practices of canoeing and paddle surfing in the estuary (which will continue during the rest of the festivities), chicharrillo and berstolaris before the descent of the crews and the chupinazo, at 8:15 p.m. The 15th is the day –among many other things– of the parade of giants and big heads and the first session of fireworks (10:30 pm), which are repeated the following day. On the 17th, balancing on the griffin and sloop regatta, in a program that includes concerts by Gatibu (15), La Moda y La Guardia (16) and Los Zigarros (17). And for the nostalgic touch, the tribute to Rafaella Carra on the 15th.
From August 14 to 16
Mallabia
The launch of the chupin is
Mallabia They have commissioned Karmele Gisasola, so the rural sports champion was used to the task on August 14 at 7:00 p.m. Before, at twelve o’clock, the ‘alkate txikia’ will have launched the children’s chupinazo. From then on they have scheduled a foam party and street entertainment, a pilgrimage with Basajaun and ball games by Elordi-Morgaetxebarria and Arteaga II-Larunbe, and Artola-Albisu and Jaka-Imaz. As the festivities extend over three days, on August 15, Andra Mari’s day, they have planned the XXXII Men’s Stone Lifting Prize and the II Women’s Stone Lifting Prize starting at 5:00 p.m., with the participation of Gisasola herself.
On August 16, San Roke, the paella and marmitako contests appear on the culinary horizon (11:00 a.m.). In the afternoon Mexican sounds will be heard. And farewell with roast beef –pintxo at 1 euro– plus free cider in the park and Luhartz Taldea pilgrimage.
From August 14 to 18
Guernica
The bertsolari Onintza Enbeita.
The first day will ring in
Guernica the chupinazo at 8:45 p.m., after the proclamation, followed by the traditional descent. Rockers from Gernikarras Dientes de luna and Oxabi, specialist in pilgrimages, will set the musical tone for the night in Pasaleku, from half past ten. The next day you can attend the goitiberas descent, another of the essential events, at 4:30 p.m. from Lumo. The bertsolaritza is proposed at 7:00 p.m., with the participation of Aitor Etxebarriazarraga, Onintza Enbeita, Miren Artetxe and Beñat Gaztelumendi. And at concert time, the all-female soul band The Clams and the ‘violent pop’ group, according to their own definition, Merina Gris play.
For the 15th they are preparing another inescapable occasion, the sukalki championship, which marks the 21st edition at two in the afternoon at the Mercury fountain. At night, at 11:15 p.m., there will be fireworks and fifteen minutes later The Riff Truckers give away rock&roll and Susan Santos, a fusion of rock, blues, country and American root music. The costumes star in the afternoon on the 17th and the end of the festivities puts it, on the 18th, Ut! with its tribute to the Basque groups that marked the 70s and 80s, at 10:00 p.m. in Plaza San Juan Ibarra.