Festa Major de Gràcia 2014
From the 15th to the 21st of August the streets of the Gràcia district will be adorned in preparation for a variety of activities for all ages, among them concerts, workshops, games, exhibitions, and street parades
The time has come once again for residents of the Gràcia district of Barcelona to adorn their streets in preparation for their Festa Major, or Annual Festival, which will take place from Friday the 15th to Thursday the 21st of August this year. As is customary, the festival will include a multitude of activities for all ages, including open air dinners for district residents, traditional parades, correfocs (fire walkers), concerts, workshops, exhibitions, castellers (human towers) and a multitude of games for the younger members of the family.
The day before activities begin, the inaugural address will be delivered from the balcony of the local council, the person entrusted with the task this year being the ex-president of the Festa Major de Gràcia Foundation, Ricard Estruch, who was president of the foundation from 2006 until last April and who has always been involved in the organisation of the festival for longer than anyone can remember.
The Festa Major de Gràcia is one of the oldest festivals in Barcelona and has evolved significantly since its initial stages, between 1820 and 1850, to the present day, focussing mainly on the importance of joint actions and mobilisation among the district’s residents.
A total of 18 streets will participate in the street decorating competition this year, one more than last year. The Plaça de les Dones del 36 will offer a variety of family entertainment, consolidating its position as one of the more traditional and emblematic of the festival spaces. The Plaça del Diamant, on the other hand, will once again become swing plaza, while the Plaça del Sol will host folk and Rumba Catalana concerts with artists the likes of Pepet i Marieta and Germà Negre. Meanwhile, the Plaça de la Virreina will host two street markets focussing on handicrafts and traditional Catalan products.
This year’s novelties will include the Vila de Gràcia Public Library, who will contribute to the festival programme with a series of activities designed for all ages, and the Plaça de la Revolució, which will be transformed into a space dedicated to the promotion of social and entrepreneurial talent among young people. The Plaça Rovira i Trias will once again be the focal point for Festigàbal, with concerts from the 17th to the 19th by the La Banda Municipal del Polo Norte and El Petit de Cal Eril, among others. The Plaça de la Vila will be transformed into another concert venue and will host performances by Pastorets Rock, Oques Grasses and Cesk Freixas.
Traditional activities will also have their day and will include the XVI Cercavila de Cultura Popular on the 15th, the Diada de les Colles de Cultura de Gràcia, who will make their 10th appearance on the 18th, and the correfocs who will make their appearance on the final day throughout the district’s streets.
Once again this year, QR codes will be installed in information points on all the participating streets and squares, providing access to the Festa Major Foundation website and the festival programme via smartphones and other devices. All information relating to the Festa Major de Gràcia programme may be consulted here.