Art, live music, artisan products, barbeque, a huge paella for over 100 people and all to celebrate the cherry harvest. Here you will find the cherry as the main protagonist and in different artisan formats such as in mojitos, beers, sangrias, etc.
There are bursts of creativity during the annual cherry festival in the Gallinera Valley. It is a unique festival where the inhabitants of the valley gather to celebrate the end of the harvest of the main fruit of the area: the cherry.
It is celebrated yearly on the second weekend of June, this year it was held from June 5 to 7. The Gallinera Valley is located in the northeast of the Alicante province, in the Marina Alta region.
Composed of 8 towns, many of which do not even reach 200 inhabitants. Benirrama, Benialí, Benissiva, Benitaia, La Carroja, Alpatró, Llombai and Benissili form this beautiful valley with a spectacular landscape.
During the festival, one of the towns displays a market with typical products from the Gallinera Valley such as honey, jams, craft beers, wines, artisan jewelry and paintings.
During our time at the festival we visited the cave paintings of Benirrama, participated in the cherry pit throwing contest of which involves spitting cherries, the winner is the one to spit the cherry the farthest, and even enjoyed popular barbecue and music. The town offers a wide variety of activities to enjoy with the family, of which the highlights were the art workshops and theatre for children.
This is a great gastronomic festival that is undoubtedly one of my favorite festivals in all of Alicante!
