Líjar celebrates its San Blas fiestas: paella, ribbon race and procession until Tuesday 29
Líjar celebrates its San Blas fiestas until Tuesday 29: paella and a corrida de cintas (ribbon race) on Sunday, the procession of the Salves on Monday and the saint’s procession on Tuesday.
Automatic translation: this article was translated with artificial intelligence from the original in Spanish. Read the original
It’s fiesta time in Líjar. From Friday 25 to Tuesday 29 September, the village is celebrating its fiestas in honour of San Blas, its patron saint, with a town council programme designed for all ages: music, tradition, food and activities for the little ones. Entry is free, according to the fiestas’ listing on Turismo Almanzora.
The listing itself sums it up in one sentence: “A few days to come together again, enjoy our traditions and fill the streets with joy”. The programme got under way on Friday with the novena to San Blas, the opening speech (pregón) with a tasting of cured meats, the dance with the Origen band and the election of the queens and the Mister of the fiestas. Saturday brought the midday fair, a flamenco performance by Mario Ruiz and the verbena (open-air dance) with the Origen band, Trío Caramelo and DJ Sanlos.
What’s left of the fiestas
- Sunday 27: children’s show at the Nave Espacio Escénico (12:30), community paella with a charanga (brass band) in the annex space on Calle Alfonso XII (14:00), corrida de cintas, or ribbon race, for children (16:30) and for adults (17:00), tasting of local sweets and chocolate in the square (18:30), presentation of the tournament trophies (19:00), novena to San Blas (20:00) and dance with Cuarteto Harmony (21:30).
- Monday 28: children’s storytelling at the Nave Espacio Escénico (18:00), novena and procession of the Salves (20:00) and dance with Dúo Reencuentro (21:00).
- Tuesday 29: Mass and procession in honour of San Blas (12:00), midday fair with a DJ (14:00) and performance by Dúo Reencuentro (17:00).
A promise that goes back a long way
San Blas’s feast day is 3 February, but in Líjar his fiestas are celebrated at the end of September, around San Miguel’s day on 29 September, according to Turismo Almanzora. The same source explains that the fiesta has been held since the days when cholera was ravaging the area, when the villagers of the time made a promise to their patron saint so that the disease would claim no lives in the village.
That mix of devotion, verbena and games for the boys and girls sets the pace of these days, with the novena to San Blas every evening at 20:00 until Monday. In a small village like Líjar, the September fiestas are also a chance to fill the streets again, to sit down together at the table for the community paella and to accompany the saint in his procession.
If you’re dropping by over the next few days, the big occasion comes on Tuesday 29 at midday, when San Blas goes out in procession through the streets of Líjar. For any queries, the town council can be reached on 950 12 22 31.
