On March 10th, 2020, Fallas was cancelled, due to the CoVID-19 pandemic. This hadn't happened since the Spanish Civil War, and was something we barely considered plausible. I mean, the celebrations were already underway! In fact that plantà of the big figures had already begun! But now, it was all over. Valencia was in shock... as were we. That very day, we went to see the mascletà as usual, not having the slightest idea that it would…
For many people in Valencia, la Plantà is even more exciting than Christmas. Unwrapping a few presents under the tree vs. unwrapping thousands of works of art across the city? No contest! La Plantà is when the massive figures which make up the Fallas monuments are removed from their cellophane wrapping and put together like giant puzzles... and public can see for the first time what they're all about. La Plantà starts on March 15th (or a…
We have several favorite spots at the Plaza del Ayuntamiento from which to watch a Mascletà. Usually, we're on the north side of the plaza, good for hanging out with friends because it's not so packed. Another favorite spot is in front of the post office, closer to the Mascletà cage, where you can see some of the fireworks explode. We also sometimes venture right up to the cage, where you get shaken during the the grand…
The Cant de L'Estoreta tradition came to life in the 1960s, thanks to the Fallas commission of Plaza del Árbol. Adults and kids alike dressed up in antiquated clothing, and reenacted the obsolete tradition of walking with the estoreta velleta, an old carpet upon which neighbors could place their old junk they accumulated over the year. That junk then was used to build the Fallas figures. Nowadays, it's more of a kids parade, featuring Valencian-themed floats, but…
Yes, Fallas 2020 has been cancelled, but we're going to continue sharing our experiences before the Spanish lockdown. Especially for all the Valencians stuck at home, we want to deliver at least a little bit of Fallas flair! On March 6th and 7th, we walked around the city to capture some of the more unique mascletàs. Enjoy! Cien Mil Truenos en Tiempo Récord https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_LXqberzbg The Fallas Commission of Mosen Sorell-Corona hired the pyrotechnicians of Vulcano to set…
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Ninots are the smaller figures which make up the large Fallas monuments, and every commission sends their best one to the Exhibition. Visiting gives you a sense of the year's popular themes and styles