I would call this a weekend of “Mascletà” and Carnaval. Valencia is definitely very active on weekends, especially in the days preceding the Fallas festival. You will be able to experience many activities, such as the activities I am going to tell you about now, as I attended them last weekend!
Multi-coloured carnaval at Benimaclet
This year was the third time the carnival was organized in the city. It was an event in which many dancing groups from Madrid, Barcelona and Sevilla participated, as well as Milan and other Latin American countries, filling the streets with colors and music. It started at 6pm from Emilio Baró Street, right next to the tram station, and the parade did not stop until 11pm! It was a great occasion to show the different types of dancing, especially when they have to wear big accessories but still dance with passion.
Fireworks are not the same as a mascletà
Many people, including me, keep wondering why there is mascletà at 2 pm when no one will actually be able to see it. The answers are that it is possible because, for the Valencians, mascletà is a pyrotechnic show of massive explosive powder which you do not see it with your eyes. You don’t have to stand closely to the shooting point. The trick here is, you hear it, smell it, and feel it.
First, the sounds are ear-splitting. However, avoid tapping your hand over your ear, because it is not the smart way to protect it – you will increase the pressure inside. Open your mouth instead, and it is not a weird thing – take a look at the people there and you will see. The Valencians also love the smell of the powder when fired.
Finally, you know that the ending of anything is often very special, so does this. The last turn is so huge that it feels like the ground is moving; like your heart vibrates at the same speed as the explosion beat. Another factor to consider is that this shooting of February 25 was “unparalleled, we are going to have a vertical section and a horizontal one, something that has never been done” said the master pyrotechnician Ricardo Caballer. This last weekend I have seen 3 times firework displays and mascletà shows, a thing that you would not experience in your home country.
Some interesting information for you: from March 1st till the end of Fallas, March 19th, mascletà shows will be on at the Town Hall Square (Plaza del Ayuntamiento) at 2 p.m, so don´t miss it. If you want to see it from above, there are many balconies rented just for seeing the show.
To conclude, no matter where you live (Moncada or in the city center), you will never get a boring weekend!
