At the end of January each year, and has been the tradition for the past 26 years, Benicassim is invaded by locals from the town itself and from Castellon, to celebrate the end of the San Antonio Abad and Santa Agueda festival, which lasts just over a week. The paellas as primarily “Valencian”, consisting of pork, chicken, rabbit and vegetables but some restaurants offer the seafood paellas, which have to be pre-booked and ordered.
The festival of San Antonio Abad is held in January and has become a major local event and Benicassim continues this Valencian tradition where domestic and farm animals are the main stars. During the day, a parade of different species of animals is held then the animal’s owners ask for holy protection, which is awarded by the giving of blessed cakes or sweets. Floats are dressed in traditional “old fashioned” clothing and markets are held showcasing traditional crafts such as jam making, lace work, wrought iron work, woodwork etc.
Each day over a week, bulls from local farmers are brought into the town, allowed to run 50 metres from their captive vehicle to a small temporary bull ring, where the owner and matadors show off their bull fighting skills. Thankfully the animals are not injured or killed, just tired out! The children are encouraged to partake in mock bull runs, and the Matadors are just youngsters practising their skills.
Fire crackers are let off regularly during the festival, to mark the start of processions to the monastery on the hill, or the start of the bull run at 2.00pm, or the start of a show.
Music and dance are also in abundance every night, free concerts and sports activities are organised by the Council and are well supported.
Paella Day
Friday 22nd started at 7am with a 30 minute herald of fireworks, followed by the lighting of large bonfires in a square at the top of town, outside the Police Station!! For the princely sum of €1, you were given a plate with 3 raw sausages, a chunk of bread, a sachet of garlic mayonnaise and a plastic cup, which was for either beer or wine, refillable as long as the supplies lasted. Everyone either took long metal skewers or grill trays to cook their sausages over the fires, and people stood around talking, eating and drinking.
At 11am, a bar on the high street opens and with each beer or wine purchased people are given a party hat. We were in the opening queue along with a group of others from the campsite, keen to get a decent party hat.
Overnight the Council deposited small piles of sand in the streets a metre or two apart, larger piles of sand were placed outside the restaurants and at midday, people can go to set points and collect a sack of wood and a 3 pronged metal stand for their paella dishes.
The council also provide a supply of tables and chairs, but some people bring their own, or just plonk their goods on the pavements and park their bums on the floor.
The fires are lit after midday and the streets filled with smoke, but the smells were amazing. Firstly oil is heated, onion and garlic are added, then meat, then stock by the litres, then rice. The smells after an hour or so made your mouth water, and the smoke made your eyes water!
Bonterra Park had organised a street table, 200 people from the camp site, all seated by 2pm! It was brilliantly orchestrated and such good fun. We sat down to a bowl of salad each, then a helping of traditional Valencian paella with fresh crusty bread, as much water and wine as you would want, then fresh Valencian oranges for dessert. The sun shone, people talked across the table and strangers became acquaintences, a great afternoon overall.
Afterwards, we left the table and wandered up the high street through the town, the number of people either having eaten, still eating, still cooking or starting to cook was unbelieveable! Some estimate over 1000 paella fires were on the go with 35,000 people in attendance, with entertainment at most street corners, in the form of a singing drag queen, or bands, or music blasting from restaurants. It wasn’t noisy, it was simply a wonderful form of organised oral chaos!
Later, the music filled the streets, the smoke filled your nose and clothes, and everyone was chilled and relaxed. It was such an interesting event, it had to be experienced to be believed.
The festival ended on Sunday evening with a group of 20 men dressed as devils, parading through the streets with catherine wheels on their forks and firecrackers going off everywhere. The men finally stopped at the bottom part of the high street and danced under a shower of fireworks. Thankfully they all had protective clothing on!
The light, smells and smoke were once again amazing but the finale, was a 20 minute firework display in a car park just outside town.
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