Carnivals come to Bilbao´s Spanish course students: Fancy dress competition

At Instituto Hemingway we have organised some activites to make the most of the carnivals in Bilbao. This year the carnivals start on 12th February and culminate on the 16th February with el entierro de la sardina, a fancy dress procession.

Students of our Spanish course can participate in the many activities which the city has planned for both tourists and its residents. At Instituto Hemingway we will join in and of course, dress up! There will be surprises for students who have made the effort to get out those fancy dress costumes.

The carnivals main event is the traditional fancy dress parade of which there are two; the first going down Calle Hurtado de Amézaga and the second down Gran Vía. The fiesta starts at 17.30 and will be a lively affair with fanfare, giants and traditional music. The stars of the show will be the clowns Pirritx, Porrotx and Marimototx which along with Txan Magoa, provide entertainment for the young and old alike.

We also recommend that our students attend the free music concerts. Punk group Gatillo and pop-rock sensation El Mentón de Fogarty play from 21.30 in El Arenal.

El entierro de la Sardina will take place on Tuesday 16th February at 19.00, starting in Plaza Nueva and concluding in front of Teatro Arriaga. The carnivals activities also include two gastromic delights. To kick off the festivities on Thursday evening, traditional chorizo will be offered to guests from 19.30 in Plaza de Arriaga, followed by another parade. On Sunday el Campeonato de Pucheros, “the stew competition” is celebrated in Plaza Nueva. The participants start cooking at nine in the morning but the result isn’t revealed until two in the afternoon.