Festivities of
Mollina
August Fair
The Mollina August Fair is celebrated in honor of its Patroness, the Virgen de la Oliva.
These patron saint festivities are celebrated around August 15, which is the day of the Virgen de la Oliva.
During these days the town loses its usual serenity and tranquility to open its streets and squares to fun, celebration and the joy of reunion with friends and family who left this earth.
All kinds of secular and religious activities are organized there, sports competitions, float parades, children’s theaters and one of the main ones: the celebration of the traditional Book Fair, which has been organized since 1976.
The Day Fair fills the streets of the town with fun, the bars and restaurants of Mollina collaborate with the City Council to celebrate one of the best day fairs in the province.
In addition, the nights bring us more fun with concerts, festivals and youth booths.
The celebration of novenas in honor of the Virgin, the offering of flowers and the traditional procession on the night of August 15 through the streets of the town are the religious manifestations that take place during this festival.
Candelaria
It is celebrated on February 1, the festival of the Virgin of Candelaria. Its origins are that this festival was a way of invoking protection against fires in haystacks, granaries, haystacks, typical and basic of the agricultural and rural economy. For this celebration, They made bonfires in all the neighborhoods, around which they danced and sang.
In an attempt not to lose the festival, the City Council makes a bonfire around which the residents of Mollina gather and eat choricillos and sardines, accompanied by the good local wines.
It is also customary to burn a rag doll filled with sawdust.
Grape Harvest Fair
The Fair is held annually and always coincides with the second weekend in September. It is held in Athens Square, the ideal place to taste our wines. Every year, this festival represents the high point in which, with great splendor and content, the economic and cultural interests of the town come together.
The origin of the Harvest Fair dates back to the 70s, sinking its popular roots as a popular celebration of the equinox, but it is from 1987 when the celebration begins to gain greater popularity and become popularly known as the Harvest Fair.
Since 2005 it has been recognized as a festival of provincial tourist interest.
The Society collaborates directly in the organization of the Harvest Fair. Coop. And. A. Virgen de la Oliva, and the Cortijo La Fuente and La Capuchina wineries.
Activities
- The Inaugural Proclamation is undoubtedly the most important event of the Fair, having been proclaimed by important masters of letters such as Rafael Alberti, Antonio Gala, Fernando Quiñones, Rosa Regás, Juan Cobos Wilkins, Benjamín Prado, Lorenzo Silva, Fernando Delgado, Eduardo Mendicutti, Angeles Caso, Luis Eduardo Aute, Marta Sanz, Ángel Idígoras, Andrés Neuman,… In 2014 the City Council published the book Mollina, los pregones de la Vendimia (1987-2013).
- The Fair poster is also one of the most important attractions of the festival, since important artists have transferred the rights to their works for its printing (Juan Béjar, Mª Carmen Corcelles, José A. Diaz, Jorge Rando, Pérez Villalta, Juan Vida, Jesús Zurita,…), and in other years betting on local artists.
- Urban bike ride. Bicycle ride through the streets of Mollina in which more than 400 people of all ages participate. The particularity of this activity is that all the bicycles have decorations alluding to the vine (vine branches, bunches,…) At the end, three bicycles are raffled among the participants and a prize is awarded to the most original one.
- Ribbon race on horseback.
- Macro tasting of wines, tastings, and workshops related to our wines.
- Popular festival on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.
- Street animation.
- Day fair in the ideal environment to taste a good wine accompanied by our traditional gastronomy. Enlivened by rock groups, charanga.
INFORMATION ABOUT THE WINES OF THE APPELLATION OF ORIGIN MÁLAGA AND SIERRAS DE MÁLAGA
The Pilgrimage
It is celebrated on the second weekend of May in honor of the Virgen de la Oliva in the natural area of Santillán. It has been organized by the Brotherhood of the Virgen de la Oliva since the early 80s.
The image is transported in a cart decorated with flowers, accompanied by a group of people, who will liven up the road to the sound of music. The streets that the procession travels are decorated with flower pots, quilts on the balconies, flower garlands and other decorations.
Since 2003, the transfer of the Virgin has been made on Saturday afternoon to the Hermitage of Santillán, where the most devout people accompany her during the night. On Sunday morning the traditional pilgrims’ mass is celebrated.
The night before the Pilgrimage, a popular Verbena is celebrated that serves as a prelude to the country festival on Sunday, a day of coexistence between family and friends, accompanied by music and dance performances.
The transfer of the Virgin to the church closes this characteristic weekend of devotion and folklore.
The Holy Week
End of March, beginning of April, according to the ecclesiastical calendar. The celebration of Holy Week begins on Palm Sunday with the procession of the “Pollinica”, in which the throne bearers are the boys and girls who receive their First Communion.
The streets of Mollina are illuminated on the night of Good Friday with candles and candles, as the Most Holy Mary of Sorrows and Holy Christ of the Vine pass by, and with passionate respect they let the Music band that accompanies the images break the heartfelt silence of our people
Although our Holy Week is recent, and although the road is long and requires effort and work, we will be able to unite and create enthusiasm among our people, which will undoubtedly help create and strengthen Holy Week in Mollina as a tradition for our children and grandchildren. .