June 2 Annual Potato Fiesta in La Puebla!

4 days of potato celebration culminate in a giant Spanish omelette in the Cartagena countryside

One of the facets of life in Spain which never ceases to surprise visitors and residents from northern Europe is the number of quirky (and, some might say, surreal) fiestas which take place during the year, and a good example of this is taking place on Sunday June 4 in La Puebla.

La Puebla is an outlying village in Cartagena between the city and the Mar Menor and the annual fiestas are held in June in honour of the Sagrado Corazón de Jesús: However, the traditional curtain raiser is “Potato Day” (El Día de la Patata), which has established itself in the local calendar on the first Sunday of June.

Now reaching its 15th edition, El Día de la Patata is a tradition which was started by local farmers keen to make the public aware of the quality of the potatoes they grow, and has quickly become a very popular event indeed. This year, as usual, everyone is invited to Potato Day, where there will be a special potato exhibition, potatoes on sale direct from the fields of the Campo de Cartagena, a competition to throw potatoes into the pot and of course various potato tasting sessions, which include omelettes as well as roast and boiled spuds.

The program of events during the day (and previous days) includes the following:

Friday May 31

12.00: The Potato Taps Route begins, with special tapas being offered by 11 local bars and restaurants in La Puebla, El Algar, Pozo Estrecho, Los Camachos and La Aparecida. The route lasts until Sunday June 9.

21.00: The official opening of the Monument to the Potato in Plaza Don Juan López.

22.00: Celebratory gala and appointment of the official Potato Ambassador for this year’s fiestas.

Saturday June 1

12.00: Children’s Potato Art competition.

13.00: Cooking competition in the Salón Parroquial.

Sunday June 2

8.30: The sale of potatoes direct to the public begins.

10.00: An arts and crafts market opens.

10..30: A Culinary Masterclass with chef Montse Ros of Restaurante Roses.

11.00: The great potato exhibition opens, featuring all of the main varieties grown in the Campo de Cartagena.

11.30: Potato throwing competitions for adults and children.

13.30: For many people the highlight of the day, with the tasting of roast and boiled potatoes and, of course, a giant potato omelette for as Many as 700 people!

For more upcoming events in the Region of Murcia go to the What's on section of Murcia Today.