La Loma de Albox revs up for San Francisco: chorizo feast, Los Lagartos and a procession from 1 to 4 October
La Loma de Albox celebrates its San Francisco fiestas from 1 to 4 October, with free entry, the Feria del Mediodía (midday fair), verbenas (open-air dances) and a procession on the saint’s day.
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La Loma now has its programme ready to honour San Francisco de Asís (St Francis of Assisi). From Thursday 1 to Sunday 4 October, the Albox neighbourhood celebrates its San Francisco fiestas, organised by Albox Town Council, with free entry and four days of music, dancing, the Feria del Mediodía (midday fair) and tradition for residents of all ages.
And this year the calendar puts the icing on the cake: 4 October, the feast day of San Francisco de Asís, falls on a Sunday, so the Mass and the procession will be held on the saint’s day itself.
Programme
- Thursday 1 (Día del Niño, or Children’s Day, with reduced prices): lights switch-on at 20:30, sevillanas dancing with Grupo Albaida at 21:00 and chorizada (chorizo feast) at 21:30.
- Friday 2: Feria del Mediodía at 14:00; the Nuestra Señora del Saliente dance group at 21:00; opening speech (pregón) at 22:00; queens’ gala at 22:30; 80s and 90s pop with Generación Beta at 23:30, and Orquesta Marengo at 1:30 in the morning.
- Saturday 3: Feria del Mediodía at 14:00; rock and roll with Los Lagartos at 18:30; Cuarteto Alboria at 22:30, and a verbena (open-air dance) with Orquesta Marengo at 00:30.
- Sunday 4: Feria del Mediodía at 14:00; Holy Mass at 20:00; procession at 21:00, and a musical finale with Dúo Alboria at 22:00.
A neighbourhood that grew up around the Franciscans
The devotion goes back a long way. According to the Diocese of Almería, in the second half of the 18th century the will of the priest Lázaro de Martos made it possible to found the Hospicio de Nuestra Señora de los Dolores (Hospice of Our Lady of Sorrows) on the outskirts of the town. Around those Franciscan friars, the neighbourhood of La Loma de San Francisco gradually grew up.
The Franciscans were expelled during the disentailments (desamortizaciones), but their mark remains in the neighbourhood and in the parish of La Concepción. Nearly a century ago, Blessed Juan Ibáñez, parish priest of La Loma, revived devotion to San Francisco, and his fiesta has been celebrated ever since.
From elValle Actualidad, we’re giving you plenty of notice: keep Thursday night free, because there’s a chorizada in La Loma.
