4 Autumn Festivals in Andalusia that you have to visit once in your life
Find out all about the four most traditional autumn festivals in Andalusia, which are full of flavours, colours and traditions. An experience to live at least once in a lifetime!
Tosantos Festivity, prequel to All Saints Day
It is arguably one of the most traditional autumn festivals in Andalusia, dating back to an order of Pope Gregory III who moved the festival of all the martyrs and of the Blessed Virgin to 1 November.
WHERE AND WHEN IS THE TOSANTOS FESTIVITY CELEBRATED?
Tosantos is held on the eve of 1 November in the food markets of several Andalusian cities such as Algeciras, Cordoba, Huelva, Cadiz and Malaga.
WHAT IS THE TOSANTOS FESTIVITY ALL ABOUT?
This festivity aims to preserve and defend Andalusian traditions from Halloween, which is of Anglo-Saxon origin and has nothing to do with the Andalusian culture.
This festival is closely linked to gastronomy and is celebrated by presenting all its gastronomic products that are harvested or hunted in autumn.
Markets decorate their stalls and products and, in cities like Cadiz, there is also a contest called Exornos that different kinds of stalls (meat, fish, fruit, vegetables and other things) can enter. A few days after the event, the prizes for the Exornos Contest are handed out at an event in the Cádiz Conference Centre.
During the Tosantos festival you can taste different kinds of seasonal products and enjoy all the activities held around the autumn celebration such as parades, flamenco shows, audiovisual projections, conferences, etc.
It is worth noting the graphic decoration of the stalls satirising recent political and social events, an irony from Cadiz that cannot be missing at this festival.
In short, Tosantos is a great festival steeped in tradition and full of imagination, creativity and fun.
Mushroom-picking Days
This autumn, grab your basket as we are going foraging! Wild mushrooms are a treat that autumn gives us every year and that you can learn to know and recognise, and then cook safely back at home.
WHERE AND WHEN DO THE MUSHROOM-PICKING DAYS TAKE PLACE?
The mushroom-picking days are organised by the Sierra Norte Mycological Society and are held every year in November in Sierra Norte de Sevilla mountains, in Constantina. Most of us love this delicacy but the truth is that we have to be aware of which mushrooms are safe to eat and which aren't. Therefore, this activity is interesting as well as fun.
WHAT ARE THE MUSHROOM-PICKING DAYS ALL ABOUT?
The sessions involve a fun field trip to forage for different varieties of mushrooms in Sierra Norte de Sevilla mountains. A unique and very interesting experience guided by a mushroom expert from El Robledo Botanical Garden, who will explain all about the different kinds of mushrooms in the area, how to pick them, which ones are safe to eat and which ones are NOT because they are poisonous, etc.
And of course, you can take home the mushrooms that you pick, and cook them following your favourite recipes!
For more information:
Constantina Town Hall
Tel: (+34) 955 88 07 00
Tel: (+34) 955 88 12 97
Facebook: Sociedad Micológica Sierra Norte
Wine Must Festival
It was first held on 30 November 1985, following an idea suggested by a group of local young people to the Mayor back then, Mercedes Calvo Serrano. The festival pays tribute each year to the winemaking tradition of the municipality and its ancestors, dedicating a day to the most ancestral tradition of the town, wine must. The Mayor obviously could not help but say YES to this romantic idea.
WHERE AND WHEN IS THE MUST FESTIVAL HELD?
The Wine Must is held in the Malaga town of Atajate, Malaga, the last Saturday of November. And this date is not a randomly chosen date or one that can be moved, since it always has to be that one due to the period of time that the must production process requires. 40 days fermenting in a barrel or carafe must go by from the harvesting, treading and pressing, and then the delicious juice is transferred to another clean one. This last process is known as decanting.
WHAT DOES THE WINE MUST FESTIVAL INVOLVE?
At first, the young people's proposal was to have a good time tasting the different musts of the region accompanied by local Iberian products and homemade tapas that everyone brought to the festival.
This wine must festival that was originally designed just to have a good time with neighbours gradually became what it is today, a day full of musical performances and must tastings from the different families and the famous and also traditional "migas" (breadcrumbs), that were introduced in 2008 and turned out to be a success that stayed at this festival.
The day of must takes place in the main square of Atajate, which is visited by many people from the region and from all parts of the province.
The residents of the town donate must from their own harvest, so that at noon a tasting of the must from residents is held in the town square, and the participants must choose the best ones. Three will be the winners who will receive the awards: the golden grape, the most important one, the silver grape and, finally, the bronze one.
If you also want to taste this delicious juice as you listen to old and modern songs by live bands, save the date! It is another of the Andalusian autumn festivities we recommend visiting at least once in your life. It has been designated a Festival of Provincial Tourist Interest and offers must of unique quality in the region.
For more information:
Atajate Town Hall - Serranía de Ronda - Malaga
Tel: (+34) 952 18 35 04
Olive Festival
The olive festival is another great event that you can't afford to miss! Like the festival of the wine must, it was created to pay tribute to the work of all the olive growers who make it possible for us to enjoy this delicacy.
WHERE AND WHEN IS THE OLIVE FESTIVAL HELD?
This interesting festival is held every year at the beginning of December in Martos, a town in the land of olives and olive trees: Jaén. Not even the pandemic could stop them from celebrating the 40th anniversary in 2020.
Martos has 22,000 hectares planted with centuries-old olive trees and is one of the most important municipalities for the production of olive oil. This traditional festival marks the beginning of the production season for this oil from Jaén that crosses borders.
WHAT DOES THE OLIVE FESTIVAL INVOLVE?
Institutional acts take place on 8 December with the traditional opening speech. This is followed by the floral offering to the monument to the olive growers and the extraction of the first olive oil of the year by means of a spindle press to finish with the tasting of bread rolls (with and without gluten), olive oil, olives and cod. Locals and visitors alike enjoy this festival that announces the start of the harvesting campaign and pays a well-deserved tribute to the olive growers.
At the same time, over 30 food, leisure and cultural activities take place in Martos during the festival. Tours of the local mills and tasting of their oils, spectacular hiking routes, plays... and a long list of unique experiences linked to the wonderful fruit of the olive tree.
For more information:
Martos Town Hall
Tel: (+34) 953 21 00 00
