September 20, 2024
The Feria de Fuengirola, also known as Feria del Rosario, will happen in the beautiful Fuengirola from October 6 to 12 in 2024, with the procession happening before, on September 29. This Feria is named in honor of the patroness saint of the city, Nuestra Señora del Rosario Coronada (Our Crowned Lady of the Rosary).
The distinctive aspect of the Feria del Rosario is that it is also a horse show event, with horses and carriages throughout the city, particularly during the processions / parades. There will be two!
Table of Contents
I have summarized here the main aspects of the Feria de Fuengirola 2024. This time, the official program, that you can check here, has the list of events in both Spanish and English! Therefore, no translation needed 😉 (Thank you, Fuengirola Town Hall!) I’ve included both parts of the program below, for further reference. So, let’s check the key points:
Official program in Spanish
Official program in English
Though more compact than the Spanish version, the English translation has the same information as the Spanish one.
Sunday, September 29 – Romería del Rosario
This is the day of the Romería, pilgrimage or procession in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary. But I prefer to call it a Parade! Even though the pictures the cities use to illustrate the parades are quite serious and somber, the reality of the event is much more festive. Take a look at the fun Romería de San Juan, in Benalmadena, and at the Romería de San Miguel, in Torremolinos, to have an idea of what is to come.
This event is going to be beautiful, cheerful, colorful, full of music, fun for all ages, and – given that this is the Feria of the Rosario – also filled with beautifully adorned horses and carriages. Highly recommended!
The program describes the route the parade will follow, departing at 10:30 AM from the Calle Miguel de Cervantes. This is a long street that passes right by the Plaza de la Constitución, where the Church Nuestra Señora del Rosario is. I suppose the concentration and departure of the Parade will be by the height of the Plaza de la Constitución. 😉 I’ve added here a how to get to the Plaza from the train station and a map of the route that the parade will follow:
Depart the Fuengirola Train Station – which is the last stop of the train’s C1 line – and follow Avenida Jesus Santos Rein until Avenida de Mijas. Turn right into Avenida de Mijas until Avenida Condes de San Isidro and turn right again on a street called Plaza de la Constitución! There is no mistake, as it is just a 6 minutes’ walk from the train station. You can also follow the locals, in beautiful polka dot Flamenco dresses, that will be heading that way. 😉
Related posts:
Trains stations in Fuengirola
Free train tickets in the Costa del Sol – questions and answers
Neighborhoods of Fuengirola
From there, the Parade will follow the route drawn below (or so is my interpretation of the route described). I find it a bit puzzling that, if I understood correctly, the parade will leave Fuengirola to finish in Mijas, but I guess it just reinforces my personal theory that the boundaries between the cities of the Costa del Sol are not very ‘bordery’; it’s all a big mix of paradise. And Mijas and Fuengirola are so intertwined every day!
Now, luckily, the Town Hall has a special bus route for this day. Below are the itineraries and times:
Sunday, October 6th – Opening of the Feria del Rosario 2024
Palacio de la Paz
At 9:30 pm there will be the opening speech and the lights of the Feria will be switched on. This ceremony will take place in front of the Palacio de la Paz, which in turn sits just at the end of the Recinto Ferial de Fuengirola.
This location is about halfway between the train stations of Fuengirola and Los Boliches; you can depart from either and walk about 20 minutes to get there.
From October 6th to October 12th, Fuengirola will have two circular bus routes at night – running from 09:30 pm to 4:30 am – departing and arriving at the fairgrounds / recinto ferial. Below are their routes and timetables:
Monday, October 7th – Start of the Feria de día
Recinto Ferial
From October 7 till 12, during the daytime, there will be children’s attractions (a funfair) at the fairgrounds – the Recinto ferial, right by the Palacio de la Paz and visible on the map above. Unfortunately, the program doesn’t mention at what time they start, finish, or what attractions will be available; neither what else, besides the funfair, will be there. I guess it is going to be a surprise for the whole family…
We know, nevertheless, that will be a funfair because it is briefly mentioned that on October 8th these attractions will be half priced. And that is the extent of what the program lets us know! The program doesn’t mention anything else about the Feria de Día (daytime fair), actually; it is way more focused on the nighttime shows.
Plaza de la Constitución
There will be a new parade departing from the Plaza de la Constitución (see how to get there above, on the September 29 – Romería del Rosario sub-topic) and it will follow the itinerary shown below. The program mentions that the horsemen will join at 12:45 at Calle Palangreros! This will be fun.
I went to the beautiful parade of October 7, 2024, in honor of the patroness of Fuengirola, Nuestra Señora del Rosario Coronada. It was a very emotive event, that had a great attendance. There were many ladies of Fuengirola wearing mantillas or flamenco dresses, as requested by the program, a clear show of pride for the town. Even people that were watching from their balconies wore traditional attire!
Several men carried the throne with the statue of the patroness, followed by a music band that gave the formal tone of the event. In front of them, kids wearing liturgical clothes spread incense, and around the throne, the people on the balconies launched rose petals. The aroma of the incense and the roses combined with that of rosemary, that covered the floor of some streets. The whole atmosphere of the event was filled with fragrances, music and commotion. Below, a few images (you can click on them to enlarge):
Shows at the Feria del Rosario 2024
Palacio de la Paz
During the Feria del Rosario, every night there is going to be a different show at the Palacio de la Paz. Tickets for these shows can be bought online directly from the Ayuntamiento, or in person at the information point in Miramar Shopping Centre, according to the program. If tickets remain, they will be sold on the day of the concert at the Palacio de La Paz box office.
Recinto Ferial – Caseta de la tercera edad
There will be several shows too at the booth of the 3rd age, as seen in the program:
Tuesday, October 8th – Día del Niño
October 8th will be the children’s day, with attractions at half price. Considering this is a Tuesday and not a holiday – kids go to school and their parents go to work – I think there won’t be many kids enjoying their day early; but after the siesta, it can pick up. And certainly, they can join the show in the evening, that on this day will be for kids.
Saturday, October 12th – Spain’s National Holiday
Church Nuestra Señora del Carmen
At 11:00 am, there will be a mass organized by the Aragón House of the Costa del Sol, on the festivity of the Virgen del Pilar, Patroness of Spain.
Above: The church of Nuestra Señora del Carmen, in the Calle María Josefa Larrucea, mentioned by the program.
Plaza de la Constitución
At noon, Spain’s National Day will be celebrated in the Plaza de la Constitución. But we don’t know how this celebration will be… I guess it is a surprise.
Conclusion
Let’s have a great Feria del Rosario! Horses, funfairs, shows and surprises waits for us there! And if you don’t know Fuengirola well yet, this is a great opportunity to see more of this beautiful city. Enjoy the beaches in between shows, explore the area, the beauty of the streets and the surprises spread along the way. Below, a taste of Fuengirola, for your delight:
Next: Halloween in Fuengirola 2023
