The Fair of Adra takes place from the 5th to the 10th of September as a festival to honour Virgen del Mar and San Nicolás de Tolentino. It is hosted in the Recinto ferial, a funfair ground where the locals and the visitors gather to honour the city's patron saints. This fair is considered the second most important fair in the Province of Almería.
On the 8th of September the tradition of taking out the statue of Virgen del Mar takes place, through a procession on land and on boat. The 10th of September is dedicated to honouring San Nicolás de Tolentino, and the locals take the statue of the saint on a procession around the area of the neighbourhood El Barrio, in the historical city centre.
TRADITIONAL FESTIVALS
Besides the fair, there are other important festivities in Adra, among which we can find the festivity of San Marcos, the festivity of San Sebastían, Easter Week, Cruces de Mayo festivity, Noche de San Juan and the festivity of Virgen del Carmen.
San Marcos festivity
The festival in honour of San Marcos, the patron saint of the farmers, takes place on the 25th of April and it has been locally declared to be a festival of tourist interest.
Early in the morning, a big mass takes place to honour San Marcos, during which a fruit and vegetables offering is made to the saint as a sign of gratefulness for the abundant annual harvest.
During the rest of the day, and also before the 8 AM mass,bakery gods are blessed in the alleyway of the Church of San Marcos. Later in the day, the saint's statue is carried on a procession through the streets of the historical city center beautifully decorated for the occasion. At noon, the locals gather at Plaza de San Sebastián, by the church, to carry the saint's statue to a throne on a trailer pulled by a farming truck, along with a series of horses and mules decorated with trappings.
Easter Week
This is a very special time in Adra, especially for the religious community. A wide range of cultural events such as exhibitions and painting and photography contests are offered.
Cruces de Mayo festivity
This festivity takes place on the 3 of May every year. The different associations and education centres make their own cross with flowers and other decoration and then the crosses are exhibited in different areas of the municipality.
Noche de San Juan
On the night of the 23rd of June, many people take advantage of this old pagan festivity to have a good time in the best company. Traditionally, people make bonfires on the beach and gather around to grill different kinds of fish, out of which the most popular is the sardine. Also, they drink, talk and play games for hours.
Virgen del Carmen festivity
Tanking place on the 16th of July, the Virgen del Carmen's Day was originally a traditional festivity for the fishermen, but now everyone celebrates it. The most typical events, as in other places in Spain, are the procession of the statue of Virgen del Carmen on a boat and on land, ending with a great show of fireworks.
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Dates: San Sebastián festivity-20 January; San Marcos-25 April; Easter Week at the end of March and beginning of April; Cruces de Mayo-3 May; Noche de San Juan-23 June; Virgen del Carmen festivity-16 July.
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Mudanzas and robos are traditional dances related to the so-called Fiesta del trovo, being very typical in the historical region of La Alpujarra, in the southern foothills of Sierra Nevada. These dances are basically variations of the traditional fandango. Mudanzas consists of moves made by couples and robos are group dances, commonly after mudanzas, when a group of men dance around a woman.
The music performed for these dances is the same one used for fiesta del trovo, that is, music played by string instruments such as the bandurria (lute-type instrument), the lute, the violin and the guitar, accompanied by the rhythm of castanets played by the dancers.
FLAMENCO
The celebration of the music festival Cante Grande on the last Saturday of August is one of the most significant flamenco festivals in Andalusia, and especially in Adra, with a deeply rooted flamenco tradition. During this event, the new promises of flamenco come together and perform, promoting their music every year. Among the attendants, there are some remarkable performances such as those of Peña flamenca La Torre, a folklore group from Adra, keeping the local tradition alive.
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