Escaldes-Engordany Launches Annual Festival Amid Heatwave
The parish kicked off its major annual festival Wednesday with traditional parades, markets, food trucks, and concerts drawing crowds. Officials monitor the heatwave and prioritize safety with violence prevention and health measures.
Key Points
- Opening featured fireworks, procession with Disney characters, belly dancer, and pubillatge proclamation.
- Market, food trucks, rumba by El Rumbo, 31 FAM concert, and DJ set highlight first night.
- Organizers eye indoor shifts if heat persists; water games aid kids, forecasts improve by Friday.
- Safety includes 'punt lila' stations, agents monitoring alcohol and disruptions.
Escaldes-Engordany's annual Festa Major got underway Wednesday afternoon amid a persistent heatwave, with organizers considering indoor relocation of some events if temperatures remain extreme.
The opening featured bell ringing and fireworks by the Trabucaires of Unió Pro-Turisme at 5:30pm, followed by a proclamation from the parish's new pubillatge. A lively procession with the Ho Peta Street Band, Disney characters, and crowds wound through central streets from Plaça de l'Església, led by a illuminated terrestrial hot-air balloon and a belly dancer. The group paused repeatedly for heirs and pubilles to repeat the proclamation, ensuring the whole parish heard the festivities had begun. Trabucaires fired volleys throughout, startling spectators, while Consol Major Rosa Gili and several councilors joined in, discharging shots skyward.
A market opened at 6:15pm on Avinguda de les Nacions Unides, with food trucks from 7pm in Prat del Roure. The evening lineup brought a 7:30pm rumba set by El Rumbo and Decantera in the Veedors car park, a 9pm €8 hamburguesa event offering a burger, drink, and fries, and an 11pm performance by Catalan urban act 31 FAM, ending with a Mon DJ set past 1am.
Gili praised the robust turnout, especially in the new Prat del Roure green space. She confirmed contingency plans mirror those for rain, potentially shifting outdoor activities to indoor venues like Sala Prat del Roure if heat intensifies. "It will depend on how conditions evolve these days," she said, noting forecasts predict a slight drop by Friday. Water games for children provide immediate relief, and no changes are planned yet.
Safety measures include "punt lila" stations for sexual violence reports, trained prevention agents, and monitoring for excessive alcohol or disruptions. Gili emphasized maintaining a welcoming atmosphere without incidents.
The schedule continues with a Canet Rock tribute Thursday at 11pm, Banda Neon on Friday, and Un Viatge als 90's on Saturday, with teams ready to adjust for weather.
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