Torroella de Montgrí programs a Sant Genís Festival with activities for young and old

Torroella de Montgrí celebrates the Festa Major with activities for all audiences, with special emphasis on live music, popular culture and family activities. Sant Genís will fill the streets of the town with music, colour and fun until August 28th.

The traditional presentation of the Book of the Festa Major, two Saturdays ago, was the prelude to some events that had their official starting point last Saturday with the correfocs.

The Montgrí medals recognize the career of personalities and entities

From Thursday 24, the party accelerates and there is no stopping it. On this same day, one of the most important institutional events of the year in the town will be held, such as the awarding of the Montgrí Medals. This year they will be awarded to the writer Vicenç Pagès , posthumously; to the Montgrí popularizer Narcís Arbusé ; and to the Montgrí Chess Club , which celebrated its 50th anniversary last year. The awarding of the Montgrí Medals will take place on Thursday 24 at 7:30 p.m. at the Espai Ter.

The proclamation makes the Festa Major official.

Also, this Thursday 24th, the Festa Major announcement will be made by the El Grop Theatre Association (9.30pm) and there will be a traditional popular dinner with a performance by David El Mag. The dinner, organised by the Senglars Rugby Club, costs €20 for adults and €15 for children under ten, with tickets available for purchase at Casa Pastors, Espai Ter, the L’Estartit Tourist Office or online. Afterwards, the Penya Barcelonista Montgrí i Comarca will serve the traditional Cremat they make every year.

Prominence of popular culture, the giant event and children’s activities

Popular Culture, linked to the giants, has a prominent place in the Sant Genís Festival. On Thursday 24 August, children will be able to dress up the Giants on the Passeig de l’Església (5 pm) and also discover the new story of the Giants of Torroella; on Friday 25, Sant Genís Day, they will be stationed in Plaça de la Vila (10.15 am) to dance through the streets of Torroella (10.30 am) to the rhythm of the Grallers del Montgrí, the Xatis and the Xanquers, and immediately afterwards (1 pm) the traditional dance of the Eagle and the Giants will take place in Plaça de la Vila. On Saturday 26 (11 am) the Gegantons and the Capgrossos will hold a parade starting in Plaça de la Vila and will premiere their dance in Plaça dels Dolors. As a follow-up to this festive morning, at 12:00, the Explosive Vermut will take place, accompanied by Sacsejada at the Convent dels Agustins. Children will be able to enjoy numerous activities throughout the days of the Festa Major. The Amusement Fair will open on Thursday the 24th (6:00 PM) at the Aparcament del Riu Ter and, on Sant Genís Day, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM, it will give special attention to people with functional diversity by offering a friendly amusement fair with a light and sound impact. Those interested in attending can register at 972757301 or at casapastors@torroella-estartit.cat. On Saturday the 26th, at 6:30 PM, the Pati de Can Quintana will host the Circ Funky Experience and the Traditional Games of the Circ de Jocs company, in an activity organized by the Racó de Rialles. The next day, Sunday 27, Plaça dels Dolors will once again host a circus activity with the Cabaret Sullivan’s show at 11 am. In the afternoon (7.30 pm) in the Espai Barraques there will be a family concert with Els Xetats. On the last day of the Festa Major, Monday 28, children will be able to enjoy board games in Plaça Mestre Pere Rigau (5.30 pm). This is an activity that has a solidarity price of €3, which will go to the Petit Montgrí team that competes in this year’s Oncotrail. Afterwards, they will also be able to have fun with the now traditional children’s show by Albert Such (7 pm), on the Passeig de l’Església, an activity organised by the Indiketes del Montgrí, despite not having had time to go out on the main programme.

Barracks with a complete and varied program

Les Barraques will once again be one of the festive epicenters of the festival. The commitment to programming quality concerts, of different styles and genres, for a diverse audience, mostly starting at midnight, continues. On Thursday 24, Parrak from Torroella will open the fire with their own songs and rock versions, followed by Esteso’s Combo with their ‘guatequetero’ style. Friday 25 will be the turn of the combative and energetic rock of Milícians and Serial Killerz. Saturday 26 will be the versions of Her Majesty and the ska, punk and reggae of Agua Bendita. On Sunday 27, the barraques space will dance to the rhythm of the metaphysical and electronic pop of Mtines and the combative music of the incombustible Brams. And on Monday 28th, the Barraques will be closed by the Empordà band Akoblats, fusing Catalan folk songs with a modern feel, combining typical Catalan instruments such as the tible, the tenora or the gralla with modern rock, ska and rumba rhythms; and the deconstructed and reinterpreted songs to the rhythm of rock, drum’n’bass, pop, ska and rumba by Mitjanit.

Concerts and Night Dance of the orchestras, sardanas, theater and dance

The orchestras once again have a prominent role in this Festa Major. This year, the Montgrins Orchestra and the La Nova Orchestra of Blanes will give an afternoon concert (7:30 p.m.) and an evening dance (10:30 p.m.). It will be at the John Lennon Gardens on Friday, August 25 and Saturday, August 26. Likewise, the sardana will continue to occupy a prominent place in the program, with auditions and dances on Friday, August 25, the day of Sant Genís (1:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.), with the Cobles Foment del Montgrí in the morning and Montgrins in the afternoon, and on Saturday, August 26 at 6 p.m. with the Cobla Rossinyolets, all in the Plaça de la Vila. On Saturday, at 9:30 p.m., the Cor Móndeveus will offer the show ‘Abans que acabi el dia’ in the Plaça de la Vila.

The Night, Sunday (10 p.m.)

Another highly anticipated moment will be the celebration of La Nocturna, which will take place on Sunday the 27th, starting at 10 p.m. This festive procession, organized by the Grallers del Montgrí, will begin on Carrer 1 d’Octubre in 2017.

Sport is not missing from the festive event

Sport will not be missing from the big week in Torroella either with various activities. The first is the 41st Table Tennis Tournament on Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 at 8:30 a.m. at the Municipal Sports Hall. Football will take center stage on Saturday 19 at 7 p.m. with the Festa Major Match between UE Torroella and CE Banyoles. Also with a more festive point on the following Saturday, the 26th at 6 p.m., with the match of the legends of the Torroella club. On Saturday 19, at 10 a.m., the John Lennon Gardens will host a petanque tournament and on Saturday 26 the Museum of the Mediterranean will host the fifth Chess Tournament (4 p.m.) in the name of those honored with the Montgrí Medals, the Montgrí Chess Club.

Festival Theater

Finally, and as is traditional, the Espai Ter will host the Teatre de Festa Major, on Monday 28 August at 8.30pm, with the play ‘El Tigre’ directed by Ramon Madaula and starring David Olivares and Mercè Martínez. Tickets cost from 15 euros and can be purchased online or at Casa Pastors, the L’Estartit Tourist Office and Espai Ter.

Festival poster

The poster for the Festa Major is the winner of the popular vote promoted with the poster competition expressly called for in a new edition to give an image to this year’s Sant Genís, and is the work of Jaume Gubianas , who has perfectly illustrated the main elements of the festival with a cheerful and characteristic style. All the works presented will be exhibited at the Pere Blasi Library from Friday 18 August until 15 September.

A party to enjoy in community

The Councilor for Culture and Festivities Anna Company highlighted that “The Sant Genís Festival is an event that unites us as a town and offers a unique opportunity to meet up with friends, family and neighbors.” In this sense, she also thanked “the collaboration of all the Entities that make such a participatory Festival possible and with a great diversity of proposals for everyone” and expressed the wish that everyone experiences “the Festa Major with joy” and invited “people from all over the municipality and surrounding towns to enjoy it and participate actively.”

PROGRAMMING OF THE 2023 FESTIVAL OF SANT GENÍS