Santa Coloma's Festa Major Blends Traditions and New Attractions August 21-23

Santa Coloma's Festa Major kicked off on Friday with the return of the correbars parade, led by Canillo’s Band Tocant through the parish streets, as the new Festa Commission revives key traditions alongside fresh elements.

The event, running through Sunday, August 23, began at 3pm with the church bell peal and a nearly one-kilometre-long inaugural fireworks display. This was followed by a foam party featuring coca and chocolate. The correbars, initially set for 6:45pm but starting around 7pm from the Enclar parking area, saw the red-clad band at the front of a growing procession. The route included seven stops, heading downhill through the centre and back to the festival bar, where it linked into the popular sardine barbecue—a highlight recovered this year.

The commission, formed by a dozen members after the Comú stepped in last year due to the previous group's disbandment, aims to restore the parish's core customs. Member Marc García said they sought to reclaim traditions like the correbars, sardine barbecue, pétanque tournament and flams-tossing contest. "We wanted to recover some of the traditions from before," he explained, while adding "a touch of innovation to stand out, but keeping the essence of Santa Coloma's longstanding Festa Major."

Shifting the start to Friday from the traditional Saturday helps draw crowds early and build momentum. Friday night continues with the Unicornios Lokos concert and a DJ DYDY session.

Saturday mixes sports and family fun, including a padel tournament, storytelling and Romanesque art games at Espai Columba, inflatables, a mechanical bull, the flams contest, La Correfoc Band and another DJ DYDY set.

Sunday emphasises heritage with the pétanque championship, a medieval walking trail, solemn mass, vermut, sardana with the Ciutat de Manresa cobla, communal arrossada, botifarra-eating contest and Ball de la Gent Gran. It closes with a fluorescent Zumba class by Tamara Martos, a weather-dependent fireworks castle and final DJ DYDY performance.

Cònsol Menor Olalla Losada has praised the commission's balance of classics and innovations to engage all generations and strengthen community ties. García described the event as a "poble festa—more intense and personal than a full parish celebration."