Amazing Light Displays At Las Fallas Festival From Valencia

Las Fallas or the Festival of Fire is held in Valencia, Spain every year from the 1st to the 19th of March. People hit the streets dressed up in traditional costumes, build a huge statue of Virgin Mary out of flowers and enormous fallas (cardbord and papier-mâché figures), enjoy mascletas, light displays and valencian food. I am in Valencia right now and I will keep you updated throughout 2011's Las Fallas Festival.

Street lights display - 750.000 light bulbs & 170.000euro budget (Falla Cuba-Literato Azorin)

Last night I went for a walk to checkout the street light displays and all I can say is that it was absolutely fabulous! Whole streets wrapped up in colorful lights, music, crowds gasping in amazement, and an unforgettable smell of buñuelos, churros, hot chocolate and grilled meat.

The photo above and the following three are from Falla Cuba-Literato Azorin. The display consisting of 750,000 light bulbs (half of them are led) and is a monument to the Valencian architect Santiago de Calatrava, the one who design the famous City of Arts and Sciences. The light display cost about 170,000euro and it is a very complex and dazzling light show with hanging chandeliers and 40,000 Swarovski crystals that reflect the sunlight during the day. The community that put all this up hopes to get the 1st prize and I have a feeling they will get it in spite of another light display just a couple hundred meters away that is bigger, but more conventional.

Street lights display - 750.000 light bulbs & 170.000euro budget (Falla Cuba-Literato Azorin)

Below is the more conventional but nevertheless huge street lights display I mentioned. Walking through the tunnel of light is like a trip though an enchanted castle. The feeling is amazing. I can't even begin to describe it. Over 500,000 light bulbs out of which 94% are led and an almost 140,000euro budget can give this effect. Now this cannot be eco-friendly, but I can asure you this is a very people-friendly festival. Las Fallas is about keeping the community together. I know eco-friendliness is a trend these days, but I think good relationships between neighbours are equally important. And what a better way of strengthening the bonds than building something together?

Street lights display - 500.000 light bulbs & 140.000euro budget (Falla Sueca-Literato Azorin)

Of pagan origins, Las Fallas started as a spring festival with the purification though fire. Later, the festival received religious connotations and nowadays it is celebrated in honor of St. Joseph, the patron saint of the carpenters. Las Fallas is an international event, and it is estimated that Valencia triples its population during the last five days of the festival. This year, more than ever before, Las Fallas are expected to be a huge success because of the new AVE high-speed train that connects Madrid with Valencia since last December.

Next you can see other smaller light displays that will decorate Valencia till the 19th of March. Unfortunately, after a very mild winter, the weather hasn't been very sunny during the month of March here on the coast of the Mediterranean. But as long as it doesn't rain cats and dogs, people hit the streets to enjoy the mascletas, the lights and in a couple of days time, the fallas figurines.