Bando de la Huerta Murcia

A local holiday in Murcia City as part of the Fiestas de la Primavera

Murcia City celebrates its major Spring Fiestas directly after Easter, launching straight into party mode before the last Nazareno has even had time to hang his capirote in the cupboard after a hard week of Easter parades and carrying heavy pasos through the streets of the city.

The Spring Fiestas start on the Sunday immediately after the Resurrection day parade, as the tapas gardens which fill many of the plazas and parks of Murcia City open for business.

These are run by the folk dancing peñas huertanas, who carry on the traditional folk music and traditions of the city and the orchards which surround it, the huertas de Murcia, the vegetable garden of Spain. Money raised from the sale of good Murcian cooking during this week helps to fund the summer activities undertaken by the peñas and you’ll find the prices very reasonable. These are open throughout the week until the following Sunday evening.

The core fiestas last until Thursday, with a number of different activities including the day of homage to the Murcian Pâstel de Carne or Murcian meat pie, the spring parade which features floats stuffed with flowers and suitably “Springy” costumes, the children’s parades and the big day itself, the Bando de la Huerta.

This always takes place on the first Tuesday following Easter Sunday when thousands of Murcianos don traditional “huertano” costume and enjoy a local holiday in  the outdoor tapas gardens set up for the duration of the fiestas, imbuing the best of Murcian tapas, locally produced beer and wine, and the company of friends and family.

During the day there are always free concerts and musical sets sponsored by the radio stations and media of the city, with plenty of activities for the family to enjoy together.

Although there are inevitably one or two people who drink too much (usually the teenagers) and the litter is beyond belief in some of the parks, in general this is a day for the family to be together, so there is very little in the way of problems given the hundreds of thousands of people who pour into the capital city.

In the early evening the grand parade of the Bando de la Huerta takes place, the main floats distributing produce and gifts preceded by hundreds of costumed folk dancers, traditional artisans on bicycles, the Queens of the Huerta and their attendants, together with horses and carriages and floats showing facets of Murcian traditional life.

The procession opens with horseman carrying the standards of Spain, the region, the city of Murcia and the Peñas federation, followed by traditional “gigantes y cabezudos” tall papier màché figures which have always been a feature of Murcian fiesta parades.

These are followed milkmen on bicycles, and a whole host of traders who used to traverse the orchards plying their wares. Carpenters, woodworkers, esparto grass weavers and even bakers, the bicycles complemented by a large number of horse and carriages.

Next come the floats showing how grapes were trodden, cereal crops threshed, water raised using man powered waterwheels, bread baked in traditional bread ovens, animals farmed for their meat and eggs, and even herbs distilled, before the eagerly awaited “merienda”.

The crowd surge forward, disintegrating into a disorderly rabble who thrust their children forward to catch the sweets, boiled eggs, sausages, gifts and vegetables which rain down from the floats of the peñas, filling hats, bags and their skirts with anything that flies through the air, grown adults competing shamelessly to grab a handful of broad beans or a fat Murcian morcilla.

A plump red pepper, stick of celery or pack of broccoli are received with equal enthusiasm as a football or a free hat, grandparents sensibly accumulating enough for a good Murcian salad or pesto, fathers enjoying a lump of bread and sausage with a glass of beer and their offspring digging with glee through bags of sweets and useless trinkets, the ground awash with spent wrappers, squashed lemons and packaging.

Even after accumulating this bounty many head off to the tapas gardens for the best of Murcian tapas, made by the peñas themselves and served amongst the trees of the botanical gardens: slowly simmered michirones, plump broad beans mopped up with wood-oven baked bread, the sweetness of zarangolla, an egg dish resembling scrambled egg, but mixed with slowly fried vegetables, meatballs in a rich chicken stock, sausages and thick potato wedges with potent garlic mayonnaise. Then washed down by coffee spiked with anis and deep fried lemon leaves dusted with cinnamon and sugar, paparajotes, or a small glass of sweet Jumilla wine.

The Bando de la Huerta, a truly Murcian day out.

Practicalities of the Bando de la Huerta
Parking: Can be difficult due to the sheer volume of people. Once the logical parking spaces such as the underground carparks and large free area behind the Gardens of Malecón are filled, then it’s a question of heading into the side streets. Be careful, as just because somebody else has parked on a yellow line it doesn´t mean this is ok. Although the forces of law and order are fairly tolerant on Bando day there is a limit and gruas are very busy all day, so be sensible. If only planning to come in for the evening parade, allow plenty of time to look for parking.

Orientation: Most of the main events focus around the plazas and gardens of the city, so having a map handy is a big help. The easiest tapas gardens to find are right down on the riverbank, and can easily be seen driving down off the ringroad into the centre of the city. There is free parking behind the Malecón gardens, so turn right as soon as possible and double-back behind the gardens. Most of the parades cross the main bridge in front of the town hall which is just a short walk from the gardens, and the parades routes are very clear with seating laid out well in advance. Maps are best obtained from the Tourist Office right next to the Cathedral in Plaza Belluga.