From the smell of gunpowder in the air and the booming, crackling sound of firecrackers, one might think they were near some sort of war zone, but to residents in Valencia, Spain those are simply the sights and sounds that let them know festival season has arrived.
The famous Fallas is the town’s most awaited annual festival, during which the raucous Mascletá celebration happens every day from the beginning of March until the end of the festivals on the 19th of the month. All day, strings of thrillingly and abnormally large firecrackers can be found hanging in town square, waiting for a celebration that is yet to come.
Wait!
It gets better.
At 2pm sharp each day, one can gather alongside throngs of over onlookers and party-goers in the main square, Plaza del Ayuntamiento, to enjoy the energetic sound of the petardos, the lighting of hundreds of firecrackers in all of their cadenced rhythm and glory.
The act represents the culmination of these festive days, giving everyone in attendance a great show of pyrotechnical work, as well as generous yet temporary hearing loss. (By all accounts, worth it.)
So if you happen to be walking the streets of Valencia in the springtime and hear shots ring out, no need to hit the deck.
It’s just the Mascletá.