One of the biggest events in the local Fiestas calendar takes place this weekend. Manilva’s Vendimia (wine Festival) celebrates the annual grape harvest and its one hell of a party… Vendimia is always celebrated on the first weekend of September.
Timetable for this years event is as follows:-
Saturday 31st August
As with every fiesta, we are woken up early with rockets being let off and “Chi Chi Pom”, the local marching band, parading through the streets.
During the day there is childrens activities and stalls in Calle Mar. Later in the afternoon, around 7pm, there will be a Holy mass celebrated in the main street after which the Virgin will be borne through the streets accompanied by the Manilva Town Band to the new Plaza de la Vendimia (at time of writing still not quite finished but I’m sure it will be!!) where she will be presented with an offering of grapes.
There will be then be a competition where the local grape growers compete for the best bunch of grapes. There is a €200 prize for the biggest bunch.
The party really begins about 10pm where there is music and dancing to the bands “Latidos” and “Kalima”.
Sunday 1st September
Celebrations start at around 1pm on Sunday (allowing time to recover from Saturday)
There is a real party atmosphere, with all the bars in the main street opening up onto the street, with the Manilva wine flowing in abundance. Live Music will be performed by the bands “Sotano Sur” and “Latinos”. If previous years are anything to go by, by 4pm you cannot move in Calle Mar.
At 5pm (approx of course..) there is a procession of horses and riders from the local riding club, all dressed in traditional costume, along the main street, the police having first cleared a path through the crowd..
At 7pm, there is the first ceremonial treading of the grapes in the grape vat, especially constructed each year.
The party then continues again into the early hours,
“Recovery Day” is Monday 2nd which is a local holiday in Manilva.