Calpe's "Casa de Andalucía" has organized this regional fair in classic Andalusian style since 1966. For a full week in mid-July, riding and dressage, sound and light shows, musical performances and dance groups brighten up the summer evenings with the most popular traditions and customs from the South of Spain.
Calpe's Plaza Mayor is where, on opening day, the fair lights are switched on by the Adult and Infant Queens of the town's "House of Andalusia". This act is followed by a visit by the Authorities to the stalls that have been set up for the occasion in the fair ground.Then all present can enjoy tastings of Andalusian products and a carousel of artistic performance, all touched by the special "duende" magic of Andalusia. Dancers, singers and guitar players perform in perfect harmony, much to the delight of who love Andalusia and its traditions.
For all those who enjoy typical Andalusian fare, the Official Stall of the House of Andalusia in Calpe puts on a traditional meal in which recipes such as the ever-popular gazpacho take pride of place on the table. This is a good place to try "rebujito", a typical drink that combines traditional Manzanilla sherry with lemonade. The "rebujito" is sponsored by the Brotherhood of Our Lady of the "Rocío de la Cava".
Many other enjoyable activities await those who visit the fair ground.Demonstrations of and classes in Latin dances such as salsa, bachata or cha cha cha, among others, not to mention Oriental dances, are to the fore in this fair which attracts dance lovers from all over Calpe and its region. Not to be missed are the Fellowship meals ("comidas de Hermandad") in which Andalusians who live in the region and people who are enamoured by that land can meet and exchange stories and impressions. The official closing ceremony brings this event to an end, an event that no lover of Andalusia should even dream of missing.
The Festival of the Virgen del Carmen (the Virgin of Mount Carmel) is celebrated in almost every seaside town across Alicante province on 16 July or the nearest weekend.
The Bonfires of San Juan in Alicante, which coincide with the summer solstice on the 24th of June, are without doubt the best known of all the festivities that are held in this town. Internationally famous, not for nothing have they been declared a "Festival of International Tourist Interest", and each year they attract thousands of people from every corner of the world.
Just before the summer solstice, Alicante dresses up to the nines to conjure up the time when King James II incorporated the land of Alicante to the Crown of Aragon, and endowed the province with an annual market fair that marked the beginning of the city's commercial activity.