Fira i porrat de Sant Antoni de Benissa: when is it, events and history Fira i porrat de Sant Antoni de Benissa: when is it, events and history
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Fira i porrat de Sant Antoni de Benissa: when is it, events and history

January 18 from 2025 - 09: 00

La Fira i Porrat of Sant Antoni de Benissa It is a festival dedicated to the patron saint of animals. For several weeks in a row, activities are organized in the municipality for this purpose, grouping the strongest and most intense days into the weekends.

Next you have an index with all the points that we are going to deal with.

When is?

The Fira i Porrat of Benissa starts on the third weekend of January and coincides with the Sant Antoni festival. Previously, the duration of the fair used to be three weeks, however, since 2023 the celebration period has been reduced to two. This 2025, will begin on January 17 and end on the 26th.

Featured Acts

The fair in Benissa has a well-defined program, since every year it is celebrated in the same way. For two weeks, the town hosts various activities such as fairground attractions, bars at popular prices, exhibitions of various kinds, and cultural and sporting events.

Among all the activities, the following acts can be highlighted:

Concert by the Lyrical and Musical Society of Benissa

Concerts are a must at the Fira i Porrat in Benissa, since culture is one of the strong points of the event. For this reason, every year you cannot miss the concert of the Societat Lírica i Musical de Benissa or the Rondalla Cultural at the Center d'Art Taller d'Ivars.

Concentration of roads and preparation of the campfire

Traditionally, the Associació de Carreters i Cavallistes de Benissa meets on the first Saturday of Fira to transport the firewood necessary for the burning of the Sant Antoni bonfire. During the morning, the participants meet at Plaça Jaume I and organize a popular lunch.

As one of the most important moments of the Sant Antoni festivity in Benissa, the preparation of lighting the bonfire involves some rituals that are tradition in the town. It is when the people gather around the firewood and carry out a series of popular dances.

The most characteristic dances are those performed by the dance association L'Esbart Dansaire. The well-known Ball de Dimonis is a dance that takes place during the burning of the Sant Antoni bonfire. The demonic characters represent the temptations of evil that face the purifying fire of the bonfire to leave behind all evil in favour of good. In 2025, L'Esbart Dansaire will offer the show on Saturday 18 January with the opening of the Fira i Porrat. On the other hand, it will also perform in the Església Vella square on Sunday 19 January.

Blessing of animals

The first weekend, Sunday, the traditional blessing of animals takes place, since it is that week when the festival is celebrated. It is a defining act of the celebration of Sant Antoni Abad or the becauset. Since it is the patron saint of animals, it is customary organize a big animal parade domestic animals accompanied by their owners.

In front of the Basilica of the Puríssima Xiqueta in Benissa A small altar is installed from where the priest blesses all those pets that pass in front of him. Other prominent personalities of the municipality are also distributed at the altar to distribute some details to both people and animals.

Paellas contest

During the Fira i Porrat in Benissa, a paella competition is organized after the blessing of animals. Several groups of people participate with prior registration for prepare your typical Valencian dish.

Medieval fair

The second weekend of the Fira is strongly marked by the medieval fair. For three days, various medieval stands and the route is enlivened with traveling shows.

Chess tournament

The Club d'Escacs of Benissa organizes every year a tournament called Obert International d'Escacs «Vicent El Pinzeller» at the Center d'Art Taller d'Ivars. This championship is held in honor of a neighbor who introduced the love of chess to the town and created the first association in this regard.

Exhibition of animals, old vehicles, horses and carriages

Due to its origins, the Fira i Porrat of Benissa is characterized by display of animals, vehicles and carriages. On the second weekend, several streets of the municipality are occupied with these exhibitions, becoming a showcase for fans of the three subjects.

In these events, the vintage vehicle exhibition. The Associació de Vehicles Històrics La Marina meets with fans from all over the Valencian Community displaying a great example of this in Benissa.

See the lens assembly tutorial program of the Fira i Porrat de Benissa 2025.

History

The origin of the Fira i Porrat of Benissa dates back to the 16th century. XVII. The strong agricultural character of the municipality shows that since then the day of the patron saint of animals, Sant Antoni, was already venerated and celebrated.

Tradition states that The town of Benissa celebrated the festival next to a hermitage in his honor and for this a porrat. This term refers to a small market for food, trinkets and other merchandise, such as cattle, which was set up on the days close to the festivity of a saint in the Valencian territory.

When the fair stopped being organized next to the small temple, it moved to the central streets of the town. This allowed the porrat to expand by increasing sales positions. Benissa thus became a kind of commercial center at the time. where to sell, buy and exchange materials and merchandise. In this sense, the stalls with livestock and other animals typical of agricultural life acquired special relevance.

Over the years, the Fira i Porrat de Benissa has been transformed into a fair focused on families that has been declared Festival of Local Tourist Interest. The sale and purchase of animals has been changed to exhibitions and exhibitions and the display of vehicles and machinery used for work in the field has been added.

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