Alicante lights up with the Hogueras de San Juan Festival
16-06-2008
To celebrate the arrival of summer, Alicante will party in style with the Hogueras de San Juan, which has been officially declared a Festival of Interest to International Tourism. The festivities reach their peak on 20th, 21st, 22nd and 23rd, with the night of 24th June being the most important date on the calendar for the people of Alicante.
The programme of activities is already in full swing. With the rattle of the firecrackers and a marked whiff of gunpowder, the city's residents and visitors are set to enjoy Alicante's first ever night-time mascletaes nocturnes, firecracker competition, Pólvora a la Nit, which will be held at midnight every day from Monday 16th to Wednesday 18th June at various locations around the city: more specifically, next to Estrella square, on Cruz Roja square and on Los Luceros square.
In the run-up to the night of San Juan, the shortest night in the year, there will be the traditional plantà de ninots de carrer or the setting up of the satirical effigies in the streets on the 19th June. This is an unmissable opportunity for visitors to appreciate and admire the strength and skill that goes into the design and construction of these ephemeral works of art.
On Friday 20th June, the finishing touches are made with the plantà de les Fogueres or the setting up of the bonfires, in preparation for the big day. At the stroke of midnight, the Crit de Festa call for the festivals to begin will echo around the streets of Alicante, giving way to a castle of fireworks.
At 8pm. on Saturday 21st June the Floral Tribute parade takes to the streets, and will subsequently be closed by the Bellea del Foc Infantil (the Child Beauty Queen of Fire) Pilar Alcaut and her ladies-in-waiting. This exciting night then gives way to the slightly more sedate prize-giving ceremony for the most innovative bonfires on the Sunday.
Just like her younger counterpart Pilar Alcaut, the adult Bellea del Foc, Inés Quesada, who is the highest representative of the Hogueras de San Juan in Alicante, will bring the procession to a close alongside her ladies-in-waiting, the Regional Houses and the Festival Delegations. This will then culminate with street dances and celebrations in the party areas known as barracas and racós.
At 9pm. on 23rd June, Alicante will be dressed in their festival dress to receive the 53rd International Folkloric Parade, which be held mere hours before the countdown to the great night of the bonfires.
Without a shadow of a doubt, the most eagerly anticipated moment for all arrives on 24th June with the burning of the official bonfire and the official children's bonfire on Ayuntamiento square next to the City Hall, followed by the burning of the other monuments and the entrances to the barracas.
Alicante will then see the festival out with a bang on 25th and 26th June in the manner it knows best, on the seafront with gunpowder and the best possible company - that of residents and tourists.
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