La Merce Festival 2013 – Barcelona at its most brilliant!
La Merce Festival 2013 ~ Every year during the last week of September the city of Barcelona becomes particularly pulsating when it holds its biggest annual street festival, La Merce. Having taken place since 1902, the festival’s intense celebrations last for five days and are held in honour of the patron saint of Barcelona, Mare de Deu de la Merce.
Kissing goodbye to summer and welcoming in the cooler months of autumn, La Merce is a poignant event that marks seasonal change. Hundreds of events, activities and parades will take place during the fiesta, many of which will be new and innovatory and many time-honoured and well-established.
The Fire Run – Correfoc
It is safe to say that the Fire Run would not pass health and safety tests in too many countries but, hey that’s what adds to the fun! When you witness the Fire Run at La Merce Festival 2013, known locally as “Correfoc”, it would be wise to wear some protection against the sparks. It might not seem right to go out on a warm early autumn evening in Barcelona wearing goggles, a hat and gloves, but if you do get the opportunity to witness Correfoc, you’ll understand why these essential winter items are vital garments when attending this fiery event.
During Correfoc the roads are closed off and opened only to the “Devils” who are teeming with handfuls of bangers and sparklers, lobbing them about with wilful abandon. You may see fire-breathing dragons coming menacingly closer as Barcelona’s streets take on the appearance of a joyous hell! The Correfoc really is something to see and is one of the festival’s long-established highlights.
The Human Towers – Castellers de Barcelona
Other established events include the Human Towers (Castellers de Barcelona) where people actually build a tower out of themselves. It is a sight to behold as carefully planned towers of human beings precariously reach up to the sky. The summit of the tower is usually topped by a small child – another one for health and safety! Thousands of people cram into the Plaza de Jaume to witness the Human Towers and it is worth getting there early so you have an unobstructed view of this crazy event.
The Giants
The Giants is another unmissable event at La Merce Festival 2013. Huge figures parade down the streets of Barcelona to a backbeat of drums and percussion during this hugely popular family event.
With events this wild making up just a snatch of the itinerary, La Merce Festival 2013, Barcelona’s biggest street fiesta, is without doubt one of the best things to witness on the whole of the Iberian Peninsula.