This weekend, June 12–14, Carcaixent will host the eleventh edition of its Modernist Fair, set in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with a program featuring more than forty activities spread throughout the historic district, the orange groves, and heritage sites in this Valencian town. The official opening will take place on Friday, June 12, at 7:00 p.m. at the Magatzem de Ribera, with an inaugural procession accompanied by the Lira i Casino Carcaixentí and La Murga de les Barraques.
The event highlights local composer Juan Bautista Vert as this year’s featured historical figure, and from the very first day will feature the opening of the craft market, the modernist market, and the food market set up in the Municipal Market.
Full program by day
Friday the 12th will kick off with the inaugural town parade from the Magatzem de Ribera to the Passeig at 7:15 p.m., followed by speeches from the authorities at 8:00 p.m. at Passeig 23. At 8:30 p.m., the choral show Innovacanta will perform on the steps of Parc Navarro Darás, and at 9:30 p.m., a video mapping presentation on the origins of the Municipal Market will be projected in Plaça del Mercat.
Most of the activities will take place on Saturday the 13th. Starting at 9:30 a.m., the 3rd Rapid Painting Contest will begin at the Magatzem de Ribera, with the submission of works at 2:30 p.m. At 10:00 a.m., the first tour by tourist train to the Hort de Sant Eusebi will begin—€12 per person, tickets available starting June 1 at vivaticket.es—.
At 10:30 a.m., the reenactment at the Conservatori Mestre Vert will open to the public, and at 11:00 a.m., the 8th Photography Marathon will be inaugurated, and reenactments at Casa Carreres, Casa Bienvenida, and the Palau de la Marquesa will open to the public. In the evening, at 7:30 p.m., the Associació Cultural Olarte will broadcast Gounod’s opera Romeo and Juliet live from the Teatro Real in Madrid at La Cooperativa, with free admission. The evening will conclude at 10:00 p.m. with a modernist dance class in the Plaça del Mercat.
On Sunday the 14th, the festival will open at 10:00 a.m. with the 3rd “Tapa Amparín” Culinary Contest in the Plaça del Mercat—featuring amateur and professional categories; the organizers will provide the ingredients. At 11:30 a.m., the Agrupació Coral de Carcaixent will perform a walking concert through the town center. The fair will close at 9:00 p.m. with a closing concert by the Youth Band and the Symphonic Band of the Lira i Casino Carcaixentí at the Escenari Ciutat.
Open Heritage and Routes Through the Orchards
Over the course of three days, several historic buildings will open their doors for guided tours and theatrical reenactments. Among the venues included are the Asil Mare de Déu dels Desemparats (1907), the Reial Séquia (1927)—with sessions every 30 minutes—the Palau de la Marquesa de Montortal (18th–20th centuries), and the Casa Soriano, home to the Municipal Archives. Tickets for the reenactments at the Magatzem de Ribera, the Palau de la Marquesa, and the Casa Carreres can be reserved in advance at vivaticket.es for €3 per person.
Tours to the orange groves will be conducted by tourist train from Avinguda de les Germanies (Correus) to four estates: Hort de Sant Eusebi, Hort de la Serratella, Hort de l’Ermita, and Hort de Ribera. The price is €12 per person, with a maximum of four tickets per person. Hort de Ribera can also be visited independently, with prior reservation at 663 62 09 85 or at reservas@huertoribera.com (€10 for adults, €5 for children).
Contests and creative workshops
The program includes five main contests: the 9th Modernist Costume Contest, the 8th Photography Marathon, the 1st Literary Contest, the 3rd Speed Painting Contest , and the 3rd “Tapa Amparín” Gastronomic Contest. Entries for the photography marathon and the literary contest may be submitted until June 22 at 2:00 p.m. to the official email address: concursosmodernistes@gmail.com.
For children and young people, the Kaiju creative space will offer clay modeling workshops (€8), workshops on adapting modernist drawings to the manga style (€7), and workshops on drawing Pokémon in a modernist style (€7). Meanwhile, L’Espurna Taller d’Art will host free art workshops on Saturday and Sunday at Passeig 23.
Gastronomy and a festive local atmosphere
The Mercat Municipal food market will open its doors on Friday from 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM, on Saturday from 9:00 AM to 11:00 PM, and on Sunday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. At the same time, the Falla Plaça Major will organize a community lunch on Saturday and Sunday starting at 2:00 p.m. in the Plaça del Mercat, serving paella for €5 on Saturday and fideuà for €6.50 on Sunday. On Saturday night, the group Distillery Folk will provide entertainment for the community dinner at 9:30 p.m. in the same square.
In addition, a total of ten local restaurants and bars are actively participating in the festival with special themed menus ranging from €12 to €27, depending on the establishment chosen.
