Las Fallas: Before 15th March

15th to 19th of March are simply when the Fallas Festival comes into full swing. It starts way before.

The Queen gets chosen in January and starts making visits since then. The petards start flying from 1st of March and the pasacalles are also to be seen from that day onwards, as well as the daily midday mascleta in the Plaza Ayuntamento. The Falleros start partying in their Casal Fallero from about 10th of March onwards.
So if you don’t want or can’t come here on 15th, you can still have a taster before that.

And the Fallas-Sculptures themselves, although officially planted on the night of 15th March, in reality get underway quite a few days before that.

Apart from the mascletas, the pasacalles and the petards, there are a few events before 15th March:

Exhibition of Ninots

Each Falla exhibit a ninot (a figurine of which the Fallas consist) in Nuevo Centro from 1st February. If you are not here for the Fallas Festival, this is your chance to get a small taster of what the sculptures are like, although what is presented is only 1-2 % of the total mass of each Fallas. The citizens vote to choose one which will be saved from fire this year.

The Crida

The last Sunday of February. This is the inauguration of the Fallas Festival at Torres de Serranos. The Queen, her court and the Fallas Committee will call on the citizens to enjoy the Fallas, followed by a castillo (visual firework).

Cavalgada de Ninots

Taking place the weekend before the start of the Festival, this is a taster of what is to come. They call it “live Ninots” - the participants are all about satire on celebrities and everything else, much like the Fallas-Sculptures. Lots of dressing up and humour. But of course, since the Spanish can’t be that serious, - it is once again more about noise, music and colours.
Day: 8th March 2008 Time: 10.30pm - 0am Place: Plaza de Ayuntamento

Cavalgada de Ninots Infantiles

This is much like Cavalgada del Ninots but by children. Naturally, it is much softer in its content and more about having a good time and a good spectacle: like any traditional carnival.
Day: 2nd March 2008 Time: 5.30pm - 7pm Place: Plaza de Ayuntamento

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