To celebrate the arrival of summer, Alicante will party in style with the Hogueras de San Juan, which has been officially declared a Festival of Interest to International Tourism. The festivities reach their peak on 20th, 21st, 22nd and 23rd, with the night of 24th June being the most important date on the calendar for the people of Alicante.
The programme of activities is already in full swing. With the rattle of the firecrackers and a marked whiff of gunpowder, the city's residents and visitors are set to enjoy Alicante's first ever night-time mascletaes nocturnes, firecracker competition, Pólvora a la Nit, which will be held at midnight every day from Monday 16th to Wednesday 18th June at various locations around the city: more specifically, next to Estrella square, on Cruz Roja square and on Los Luceros square.
In the run-up to the night of San Juan, the shortest night in the year, there will be the traditional plantà de ninots de carrer or the setting up of the satirical effigies in the streets on the 19th June. This is an unmissable opportunity for visitors to appreciate and admire the strength and skill that goes into the design and construction of these ephemeral works of art. On Friday 20th June, the finishing touches are made with the plantà de les Fogueres or the setting up of the bonfires, in preparation for the big day.
Without a shadow of a doubt, the most eagerly anticipated moment for all arrives on 24th June with the burning of the official bonfire and the official children's bonfire on Ayuntamiento square next to the City Hall, followed by the burning of the other monuments and the entrances to the barracas.Alicante will then see the festival out with a bang on 25th and 26th June in the manner it knows best, on the seafront with gunpowder and the best possible company - that of residents and tourists.
Fuente: comunitatvalenciana.com
