Ham Foreleg Festival
Since 1999, the town of Silleda has held this festival promoting ham foreleg, one of the area’s characteristic products.
Events: Characteristic dish served in a marquee. Traditional music groups, ending with a performance by several orchestras.
The dinner begins at 10 pm, under the marquee set up in Plaza da Feira Vella. The average attendance is around 1,500, which gives us an idea of how important the festival has become in a short time. The difficulty of preparing the delicacy in two different ways, boiled or roasted, has been overcome thanks to the collaboration of several bakeries, which make their ovens available free of charge, and a company from Lalín that boils the product. In this way, the 270 ham forelegs are ready for serving.
The Organization recommends booking and paying in advance at the usual places.
Menu: boiled or roasted ham foreleg, cheese and quince, bread, wine and soft drinks.
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Festivals
From 21 to 23 March
The ’romería’ of San Lázaro, a neighbourhood situated at the entrance of the city, on the Way of St. James, is both religious and gastronomic. The patron saint is honoured with a mass and a procession, in addition to an ancient tradition in which pig’s trotters are auctioned as an offering to the saint, "Festa da Uña".
Every year, coinciding with the local holiday, Bembibre’s Campo de la Feria hosts the “Día da Exaltación da Empanada” (Galician Pie Day). In order to carry out this popular event, the Municipality of Val do Dubra is helped by local bakeries, which exhibit their different varieties and recipes.
A gastronomy festival that is held in Carballeiro do Souto in the parish of San Fins de Sales (Vedra) with free tasting of pig’s ear all day long, accompanied by musical performances. There are also stalls selling sweet “orejas,” octopus, barbecued meat…
Coinciding with the second weekend in May, Oroso holds its Trout Festival, an event declared to be of Tourist Interest that has the objective of bringing together residents and visitors to enjoy a couple of festive days. The 18th festival will be held in 2014.
In 2015, the municipality of A Estrada will hold its 42th Salmon Festival, an event that pays tribute to the king of our river fishes.
The “Fiesta del Melindre y de la Repostería Tradicional de Terra de Melide” was declared a Festival of Tourist Interest in 2013. It is held every year on the second Sunday in May and its main venue is the Municipality of Melide’s Praza do Convento, where exhibitors gather.
This is the municipality’s festival with the greatest tradition and attendance. People are attracted by several activities: cultural (awards ceremony, exhibitions, tributes), sports (traditional games, cycling), gastronomic (traditional lunch) and recreational activities (inflatables and musical entertainment).
A gastronomy festival that began to be held in 1987, during the San Isidro de Carcacía festival. In recent years, it coincides with the Day of Galician Letters (May 17).
A Estrada’s Cider Festival arose due to the existence of a tradition, in relation to boththe growing of apples and the making of cider. The festival was held for the first time in 2012 with the aim of bringing together all of Galicia’s producers; cider makers from the entire Cantabrian coast were also present: Asturias, Zamora, Cantabria and the Basque Country.
A Estrada’s San Xoán Festival, which is held in O Areal de Berres, is becoming more and more popular as one of the area’s most attractive “San Juan” festivals.
The Municipality of A Estrada’s local holiday, devoted to its patron saint, “San Paio,” is held from June 26 to 29. During these four days, an extensive programme of recreational, sports, cultural and religious activities is carried out.
Since 1999, the town of Silleda has held this festival promoting ham foreleg, one of the area’s characteristic products.
A characteristic festival beside the River Ulla, in the Agronovo Recreational Area (Vedra). A chub fishing competition is held at the same time.
On July 16, Melide celebrates the feast of El Carmen with a lot of emotion and devotion for the Saint, even though it is not a coastal town.
Every year more than 1,500 people gather to savour the biggest paella made in Galicia with 1,000 kg of rice. The festival started in 2001 and has already been consolidated as an important event in the Municipality of Silleda’s festive calendar.
The Chaián Chub Festival reaches its 40th year in 2014 and includes the now-traditional cyprinid fishing competition, as well as a popular gastronomy festival and subsequent dance.
This is a very popular festival that is well established in the Municipality of Silleda’scalendar. Every year, more than 10,000 people gather together to savour around 2,000 portions of omelette and 1,000 litres of wine free of charge. The festival began to be held in 1989, reaching its 22nd year in 2010.
The “Festa do Galo Piñeiro e Mostra Cabalar,” declared a Festival of Galician Tourist Interest in 2010, is held every year on the first weekend in August in the village of Pedrouzo (Arca).
From 1984 to date, every first weekend in August, the Municipality of Val do Dubra pays tribute to its residents who have emigrated and its visitors.
The gastronomy festival par excellence in the municipality of Padrón, held on the first Saturday in August in the parish of Herbón. It started in 1978 and is now classified as a Festival of Galician Tourist Interest.
Festival featuring the promotion and tasting of ham, which is held on August 14 in the parish of Bermés (Lalín) and will reach its 16th year in 2014. Cured and roast ham is served, along with bread and wine.
San Caralampio is held in Melide on the second Sunday in September. This festival, also known as the Festival of the Drunks, has Bacchus reminiscences and is devoted to wine.
Lalín’s feast day is held on the first Sunday after September 18th in honour of Our Lady of Sorrows. The festivities last for 5 days, since Monday and Tuesday are local holidays.
