The main festivals and activities in Grazalema

Festivals and activities of all types are the delight of both Grazalema people and their visitors, allowing getting everyone to know our heritage values; our social and cultural values and our gastronomic values while enjoying the wonderful environment that surrounds us (check the cultural agenda). Throughout the year, theme exhibitions are offered, whether oil painting, photography or handicraft exhibitions; contests about confectionery, pumpkins and gastronomy in general, according to each season; handicraft workshops, theatre and musical performances, sportive events, routes and all types of programmed activities in the nature, as well as environment-related days, etc.

The main festivities, celebrations that go back to several centuries in the past, are as follows:

– The first summer celebration is Romería de San Isidro, celebrated on the last Sunday of May. People celebrate the arrival of summer with a lively procession of almost all the village inhabitants descending towards the meadow at the valley of the river bank. As traditional, there is plenty of food and drinks and hustle of horses and decked out riders, organizing contests related to the equestrian theme. The party continues all day long until at dusk everyone goes back to the village with the same festive mood.

– During the third week of July, Fiestas del Carmen are celebrated. They start with an Announcement at the end of June and they continue on Thursday and Friday with Noches Flamencas: a recital of singing and dancing in a beautiful stage, the Huerto de San José Park, next to the church that holds the same name. On Saturday, the Carmen brotherhood offers a concert by the local Musical Grouping in the San José Church and, as usual, the traditional fireworks in Los Peñascos Square take place, since it is the highest square in the village. On Sunday, at noon, there is a fake Toro de la Cuerda for children and, in the afternoon, the main event of this festivity takes place: the procession of the Virgin through the streets of the village, all decked out for this event. At the dawn of Monday, everyone is groomed with the “Toro enmaromado” running of the bulls, which take place again through the village streets at 12 am and 7 pm. Every night there will be delightful music and dance until dawn. (Visit the webpage of Peña Ñunes of Toro de Cuerda)

– On the third week of August, “Fiestas Mayores” are celebrated. These are four days of celebrations that include live music, dancing, heifer loosening, contests and various activities, concluding the celebrations with the ascension of the Patroness Our Lady of the Angels in a small but solemn night procession, from the Hermitage, that can be visited during the whole year, until the village, to therefore walk her through the village and then descend her again to the temple at nightfall on the 8^th of September, the official day of this patroness.

Featured events in Grazalema

Among the other the events that are celebrated during the rest of the year, we highlight the following ones in chronological order:

Commemorative events and activities on the Andalusia Day and the Working Women’s Day, during the week of the 8^th of March; Announcement and Procession during the Holy Week, ending with the loosening of Toro de Cuerda in Benamahoma on the Resurrection Sunday.

In April, the whole month is devoted to activities related with reading and culture in general, coinciding with the Children’s Book Day and the Book and Copyright Day.

In May, although there aren’t any remarkable activities -except for the Procession of Sister Angela during the 1^st Sunday and the Romería- it is worth coming to visit the Sierra in all its spring splendour.

During the month of June, in addition to the Romería or Pilgrimage of Benamahoma that is celebrated on the 1^st Sunday, the village is full of artists coming from everywhere in Andalusia to capture the most beautiful view of Grazalema in the Outdoor Painting Competition. On the 5^th, on the World Environment Day, since we live in a Natural Park, several activities are carried out with the goal of promoting and getting everyone to know how to help to keep our environment as healthy as possible; on the Corpus Christi Day, the streets of the village are decorated with flowers and on the 24^th we live the magical night of Saint John, burning all the bad omens to begin the new summer solstice. During the last week, there are several musical and poetic performances named Literary Afternoons.

During the first weekend of August, in Benamahoma, the Moors and Christians Festival is celebrated.

In September, you will be able to enjoy dog exhibitions during the Water Dog Monographic Days, which are held during the second weekend of the month. Also, coinciding with the 27^th, on the Tourism Day homage is paid to everyone that chooses Grazalema as a tourist destination, thus being able to enjoy several activities and discounts that are offered to get everyone to know all our natural, cultural and gastronomic values.

On the second weekend of October, the whole village is transformed to celebrate the Historial Recreation “Blood and Love in the Sierra”, remembering the experiences of José Mª aka “El Tempranillo” on these mountains. In autumn, we also celebrate the Day of Older Persons and the Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, days in which the young people participate expressing in a graphic way their ideas about it. After that, on the 18^th, on Children’s Day, there are several activities for children to enjoy.

During the month of December, you will also be able to enjoy a lot of events related to Christmas, such as the Older Persons week, concerts, exhibitions, tastings, exhibitions of live scenes of the nativity scene, zambombás, parades, New Year’s Eve party, parade of the 3 Kings, etc.