The Festa Major del Vendrell

The Festa Major or Major Feast is traditional Catalan cultural event celebrated annually. There are Festa Major's throughout Catalonia, in towns big and small. It is one of the biggest celebrations of the year for Catalans. In El Vendrell, its celebration aligns with the feast day of Saint Anne, the town's patron saint and is recognized as the most important day of the town's festive calendar.

The Festa is a multi-day event that involves fire and lights, diables (devils) and correfocs (beasts of fire or fire-runs), drumming, concerts and fireworks, among other typical Catalan cultural staples such as castellers and sardanes.

Some preliminary activities for this year's Festa Major began Saturday night. On one of the Rambla's, there was a display of all the correfocs, many of which are dragons, that El Vendrell has to offer. The correfocs are hollow which allow for one or more persons to drive them when they are lit. Each group or team associated with their respective correfoc set up an information stand for families and friends to ask questions, learn more and even buy a tee-shirt supporting their favorite correfoc!

As the sun was setting, these correfocs were ignited and the preview of what is to come next weekend was quite a spectacular!

Child devils with fireworks

A female correfoc

One large dragon correfoc, who had to be shortened so he could make it through the town's narrow streets.

More diables

Insect correfocs

Correfoc

For more information about the Festa Major of El Vendrell, visit:

1. Enfesta't
2. Ajuntament del Vendrell

For more information on Festa Major's in other towns, visit:

1. Festa.cat
2. Festa Catalunya

Bee/Wasp correfoc