From August 31st to September 12th the traditional September Murcia Fair is celebrated, this year comes under the motto of ‘The Fair of the News’. The fiestas will feature a program full of activities: music, attractions, gardens, Moors and Christians, fashion, gastronomy fair, horse day, activities on the river Segura and many more events.
Under the motto ‘La Feria de las Novedades’, the program includes “top musical and artistic shows, gastronomic tastings, parades, children’s entertainment, sports activities and leisure events for all ages.
In the river also the City Council has organised free rides along the river throughout the whole Fair this year, from 11:00 to 14.30 and from 16.30 to 20.00. The September Murcia Fair is a festival of marked popular character that sinks its roots in medieval fairs. The need and the tradition of the fairs to exchange products and merchandise which has been lost but there are still traces of what would be its origin, cattle fair and craft stalls.
At The September Murcia Fair, various festivities coincide: Moors and Christians, the International Festival of Folklore in the Mediterranean, “Lemon Pop”, orchards in the pleasant garden of the Malecón, handicrafts fair and typical products Is a great showcase for the gastronomy and wine of the Region, without forgetting, of course, the fair with its attractions that delight children and teenagers and the bull fair during this month. These festivities begin with the descent of the Virgin Fuensanta from its sanctuary to the Cathedral in Murcia and these parties are closed with the pilgrimage of the Virgin Fuensanta back to the sanctuary.
Children’s activities every day in “La Circular”
Children can enjoy a complete program of children’s activities that will be held every afternoon, for ages ranging from 4 to 11 and from 6.30pm to 10 pm in “La Circular”. Face painting, traditional games, crafts, pony exhibitions, gymkhanas and many other activities which Terra Natura are in charge of.
Autochthonous animals and pets for adoptionThe gardens of “Teniente Flomesta” will be the scene of the exhibition of native and exotic animals in an environment where there will also be various workshops. In addition, the City Council will move to this point of the city the sample of pets in adoption, which has already organised on previous occasions the Zoonosis Service with great success of adoptive families. It will be on September 2nd, from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Highlights of the Fair:
Thursday, August 31st
3:30 p.m: Departure of the Virgin Fuensanta in the pilgramage towards the city of Murcia. 7:00 p.m. Official opening of the gardens. Gardens of the Malecon. 9:00 p.m. Inauguration of the fairground and lighting of the porticos in “La Fica”.
Friday, September 1st;
7:00 p.m. Auditorium Park of Fofó. XXII Lemon Pop Festival.9:00 p.m. Proclamation of the Fair of Murcia 2017. Castle of fireworks.
The Lemon Pop of Murcia is an indie festival par excellence. The first edition of Lemon Pop was launched in 1996, incorporating to its poster the best of indie-pop Spanish and international. In its twenty years of history, mythical groups such as Nacha Pop, Surfin ‘Bichos, Los Enemigos, The Purple Elephants, Vetusta Morla, The Only Ones, Neuman, Second, Perro and La Casa Azul have performed.The Lemon Pop Festival celebrates its 22nd edition from 1 to 16 September with performances in the Fofó Park Auditorium, on the terrace of Los Molinos del Río and in the Sala Rem.With La Casa Azul, La Bien Querida as headliners, we will live a well-bathed Lemon pop. There will be a good representation of Murcia groups, such as Nunatak, Adiós Nicole, Clara Plath, Schwarz, Los Marañones, Joaquín Talismán & Los Chamanes, The Yellow Melodies, The Runarounds or M76. At the national level, we will have the power of Rufus T. Firefly that has an unstopable year with his Magnolia, Tachenko and his always effective proposal, the extrasensory folly of Holögrama and the Asturian Axolotes Mexicanos with his authentic pop made in Elefant Records ‘.
Sunday, September 3rd
12.00 h. Horse Day. Walk and parade of carriages. Alfonso X.
Monday, September 4th9:00 p.m. Preach of Moors and Christians. Teatro Romea.22.30 h. Inauguration of the Moors and Christians Camp. The Malecon.
The festival of Moors and Christians of the city of Murcia was born as such in 1983, but its gestationwas held in 1981 on the occasion of the commemorative events of the Foundation of Murcia, which happened on April 21st, 831 and was celebrated thanks to the efforts of the Murcia section of the Association of Friends of the Castles in collaboration with the Defense of the Heritage of the Region of Murcia. They managed to interest various government agencies to get a dignified holiday – the city’s birthday – which was certainly achieved.
The year 1982 paraded the Moors and Christians of Orihuela and given the blessing of Murcia, it was demanded with insistence that in successive years this party would last. In June 1983 the Association of Parties was created and that same year, in September, the parades began. Five were the founding groups of this Association: Mudéjares, Abderramán II, Ib-Arabí, Aben-Mardenix, for the Moorish side and the Knights of the Temple, for the Christian. In that first parade of the year 1983 was received the support of groups coming from Abanilla and Orihuela.
Tuesday, September 5th
18.00 h. Children’s Day. 50% discount on the attractions of La Fica.20.30 h. Bullfighting. Almudí Palace. In charge of the teacher Enrique Ponce.
Thursday, September 7th
11:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. Comic Day: Special Super Heroes. University Square. Monday, September 11th9:00 p.m. Concert Murcia 40 Pop. With performances by Dvicio, Bombai, Atacados and Ender. Parking CentroComercial Nueva Condomina.21.30 h. Moors and Christians. Embassy of the delivery of keys of the city of Murcia to the infant Alfonso X El Sabio. Plaza Belluga.
Tuesday, September 12th
07.00 h. Farewell Mass of Our Lady the Virgin of the Fuensanta and later pilgrimage to its Sanctuary of the mount. The Virgin of the Fuensanta, patroness of the city of Murcia, returns to its Sanctuary of the Mount, in the traditional pilgrimage with which the September Fair is closed. At 7.00 hours will take place in the Holy Church of the Cathedral the farewell Mass of Our Lady of the Fuensanta.
The image of the Fuensanta will leave at 8.40 hours of the Cathedral of Murcia, where it remains since the beginning of the patron saint festivities. As it passes through the streets of the city, crowded with worshipers, the pilgrimage takes the form of a procession, with devotees in long lines, the authorities and the clergy.After leaving the Cathedral, the patroness of Murcia will make her first stop in the church of Carmen, where she will be officially fired by the authorities to start the journey to the Sanctuary.Along the Algezares road, there is a fervent crowd that accompanies the Patroness, carrying many of their members the traditional lit candles.The construction of the temple in honor of La Fuensanta was begun in 1694 in homage to the miracles of the Virgin in the pilgrimages.After hearing the mass celebrated in the esplanade and witnessing the entrance of the Virgin in sanctuary, the pilgrims realize a popular meal under the shade of the pines.The favorite places to take shelter to eat are the monastery or the shady places of the Valley, the “Cerrada” or the “Cresta del Gallo”, with its privileged views.
Clean Mountain Day.Volunteers from the Murcian Mountaineering Federation will report on the need to keep the Fuensanta and Valle environment clean by installing a stand where bags will be distributed to collect waste.
Consult the official program of the September Fair of Murcia here;
http://www.murcia.es/cultura/admon/archivos/documentos/AF_FeriaMurcia2017-Programa-Digital.pdf