Festivals and other events local to Noia (Noya)
This page provides details of events in Noia and the surrounding area. If dates of special events including festivals (fiestas) or live music performances are known, then their calendar details will be posted on this page.
Noia's Festivals ("Fiestas de Noia")
The main festivals in and around Noia are listed in the table below. Some of them are celebrated on several different dates during the year and there are also festivals within festivals. Most relate to a saints day and the significance of the festival to a particular town is normally connected to the naming of a church after the Saint in question. The festivities themselves do not necessarily have to take place in the vicinity of the church and normally polarise around a town square or other communal public area.
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The final festival in the list above, "San Bartolomeu", is the most significant in Noia’s annual festival timetable and is elaborated on in detail in a seperate page - see the sub menu on the right.
How are the festivals funded?Festival funding is coordinated by the local town council who are normally a major contributor, however money from the local population and businesses plays a significant role in enabling festivals to take place, especially in the smaller towns and villages.
Festival fund raising normally starts as soon as the previous festival is over and one of the reasons that festivals are so well supported is because of the real investment that everyone in a community puts into them. The significance of what the Spanish call "fiestas" cannot be over emphasized. They help to demonstrate the importance of a town, its community, religion and status in the wider region, and rather than fade away, many festivals have become more extravagent over recent years.
Festival & Live music performance updateThe next festival in the Noia area calendar will be: "San Pedro de Boa" on 1st July (duration one day)
Noia's markets
Noia has a two storey in-door market in the older part of town selling meat, produce and other items.
Noia also has two weekly outdoor markets on Thursday and Sunday mornings (photo right). These markets sell a wide variety of clothes, some household goods and produce (some local and some from travelling market traders). The market occupies several small and one large street in the lower part of the town. Some good deals can be had, but generally prices are similar to those found in local shops. On the first and third Sunday of each month the market extends up to and sometimes around the church of San Martino.
A further, themed market, takes places annually and is located around the towns large plaza during Noia's main festival in August.
Noia's annual Circus
A traveling circus visits Noia once a year. In 2002 it was "Ciro Italiano" and last year (2004) a similar Russian circus, both very famous. Apparently these circuses are very good and take place under a large "big top". If you are British, then prepare for a surprise because the shows have real animal performers, e.g. elephants, lions, horses etc. The circus normally plays for around one week in June or July.
Bull fightingNoia used to have its own bull ring, but this was demolished in the 1980's. In the festival of 2005 a temporary bull rink was erected for the festivities. The event was rained off on the first day, but re-scheduled. Neither we, nor any member of my wife's family attended.
For info and pics of Noia's Celtic festival (in July), click Celtic fiesta in Noia.
