ARCHIVED - 7th to 12th July, Festival of Folk dancing and music, La Palma, Cartagena

XXII Festival Nacional de Folclore de La Palma

This coming weekend Cartagena celebrates its annual Folk Festival, held in “ El Palmeral” the Patio de Las Casas Grandes, in La Palma, home of the local folk dancing group, the Grupo Folclórico Ciudad de Cartagena.

This is, essentially, an agricultural research station, but has a large outside garden area with a central courtyard in which a stage is erected and locals can come along and enjoy the costumed dancing and regional folk music. There are also events at the Casa del Folclore, the headquarters of the folk dancers themselves, which also contains costumes worn by the group and historic costumes of the area. All workshops and visits are in Spanish.

Entry to the events is free, and there is also a bar selling tapas and snacks run by the folklore group themselves, paying for their operating costs throughout the year.
In the week prior to the festival itself, workshops are run for children, teaching them some of the traditions and customs of the Cartagena area, then over the weekend the main folk dancing event is held, with all invited to attend.

Monday 7th July
6pm Children’s workshop, “ As I was telling you” . Taking place in the Casa del Folclore
8pm Guided visit of the Casa del Folclore

Tuesday 8th July
6pm Children’s workshop, “The machinery of time”. Taking place in the Casa del Folclore
8pm Guided visit of the Casa del Folclore

Wednesday 9th July
6pm, Children’s workshop, “My grandfather’s games” .Taking place in the Casa del Folclore

Friday 11th July
10pm Folk music night, with the group Malvariche from Alhama de Murcia performing their own folk-rock as well as more traditional Murcian folk.

Saturday 12th July
10pm Folk dancing festival, free entry
Traditional costumed folk dancing from:
The Grupo Folclórico Infantil Santa Florentina (La Palma), Grupo Folclórico Ciudad de Cartagena (La Palma), Grupo Mpal. de Danzas de Tudela (Navarra), Grupo Ntra. Sra. De la Fuensanta (Murcia) and the Grupo Mpal. De Coros y Danzas de Baza (Granada).
 

Venues:
The main acts of the festival are held on the outskirts of La Palma at the Estacion Experimental Agroalimentaria, " El Palmeral de las Casas Grandes".
Its in Calle de Antonio Serrano, in the building known as the UPCT Centro de Investigacion, its at the end of the road and is easy to find once youre in the right street. Click for Calle Antonio Serrano

Casa del Folclore
There are also activities in the Casa del Folclore, which is the headquarters of the peña who put on this event. Inside the building is a mini museum, dedicate to the folk traditions of the Cartagena campo, with traditional costumes and items related to life in the Cartagena campo.
This is located in:
Grupo Folklórico "Ciudad de Cartagena" de La Palma
C/ Progreso, 2
30593, La Palma
Click for map, Calle Progreso 2, La Palma
 

More information about the Cartagena municipality in the dedicated Cartagena section, acessed via the map box at the bottom of every apge