fallas

Fallas Valencia 2017, Mascletà Vertical

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Here are two videos of the amazing opening act of Fallas 2017.  Fallas is Valencia’s annual festival, an Unesco heritage event.  There are hundreds of sculptures 25 meters in height and thousands of smaller ones.  There is a mascleta – fireworks without much light-  every day at 2pm, and fireworks at night that are not just literally over the top.  This one featured a first-  50 meter/ 165′ vertical firework trees.  Amazing!  The first of those below is mine and is just two minutes, the second is professionally done and is about 10 minutes.

Enjoy!

 

 

Visit to the fallas workshops (with photos)

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March 3, 2016 we visited the workshop area where the sculpture for Fallas are produced.   These are made from foam over a wood frame.  Each neighborhood Fallas contracts with a workshop to produce these creative and delightful sculptures each year.  Except for a very few ‘small’ ones (small is human sized) all are burned around midnight on March 19 each year.  The largest are around 25 meters/80′ in height.  This industry employs hundreds of artists, carpenters and other skilled labor and brings in 800,000 people to Valencia each year.  The streets are lively, filled with lights and stands selling churros and other fried goodies, mojitos (a mixed alcoholic drink) and of course beer and wine.  The neighborhood fallas organizations have tents, lots of parties, and make paella on wood fires on the street.  Some of them sell portions as fund raisers.

Fallas is the annual carnival in Valencia, Spain.  For background information see http://www.garyjkirkpatrick.com/the-fallas/ ‎

 

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Fallas 2016!- first photos

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These are the first photos from Fallas 2016.  Fallas is the annual carnival in Valencia, Spain.  It is truly one of the wonders of the world.  They erect hundreds of sculptures made of foam and wood (these days), some of which are 25 meters (75′) in height.  There are daily booming fireworks more for feel than light, daily at 2 pm.  At night there are more traditional fireworks in the parks.  Valencia doubles in population for the event, which starts March 1 and ends March 19 every year.

In Rusafa, a section of Valencia, there are not only fallas’ (the statues) but also sound and light shows.  Here they are installing the lighting.

 

Much more to come!

 

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For background information see http://www.garyjkirkpatrick.com/the-fallas/ ‎

 

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