La Fira, Ontinyent's fair, is one of the most eagerly awaited dates of the year. It is held on the third Monday of November and the weekend before, and was declared a Festival of Regional Tourist Interest in 2022.
A fair over six centuries old
La Fira was founded by royal privilege in 1418. Having a fair was vital to the town's economy, and settling its dates led to disputes with the neighbouring towns of Albaida and Cocentaina. For centuries it was the district's great meeting point for trade and social life.
La Fira today
Today La Fira is a market with stalls selling all kinds of goods and a long list of fairground rides for all ages, drawing visitors from all over the Vall d'Albaida.
Until a few years ago, Fira Monday kept alive the last trace of the old Festes de Folls (Fools' Festival): the Quintos (young army conscripts) paraded with painted faces and hats, handing out rhymes in exchange for money, a custom that ended with compulsory military service.
Don't leave without trying...
The coca de fira, a flatbread made on a dry dough with pork belly, llonganissa, onion black pudding and pebrassos, the seasonal wild mushrooms that Ontinyent's mushroom hunters find in these autumn weeks.
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