Three festivals mark the Rioja calendar from top to bottom: a real wine battle in June, a dance on stilts recognised by UNESCO as heritage in July, and the festival that welcomes the harvest in September.
The Wine Battle of Haro
Every 29 June, the feast of Saint Peter, hundreds of people climb from Haro up to the Riscos de Bilibio, about six kilometres from the village, to drench whoever is in front of them in red wine until their white clothes are completely purple. Before the battle there is mass; afterwards, the procession sets out on foot or on horseback towards the crags. It is a Festival of National Tourist Interest.
The Stilt Dance of Anguiano
At the Magdalena festivities, between 21 and 25 July, eight dancers from Anguiano go down a cobbled street of about sixty metres spinning on themselves, mounted on stilts fifty centimetres high beneath wide skirts. The dance is repeated several times during those days, at midday and at dusk. It is declared Intangible Cultural Heritage and the first written reference to the tradition is a municipal document from 1603.
San Mateo and the Rioja Harvest Festival, in Logroño
Logroño’s main festival week is held around 21 September, the feast of Saint Matthew, and coincides with the symbolic start of the harvest: a rocket announces the start of the festivities from the town hall balcony, the first grape is trodden and the first must is offered to the Virgin of Valvanera, patron saint of La Rioja, in the Espolón. There are free concerts, a parade of floats and the peñas open their premises for popular tastings.
One drenches you in wine, another is danced on stilts, and the third begins by treading the first grape of the year. None resembles the others.
All three are peak-attendance dates: accommodation and transport fill up weeks in advance, above all in Haro for the Wine Battle and in Logroño during San Mateo. Booking in good time is almost compulsory.
Do I need to wear special clothes at the Wine Battle?
Yes, old white clothes that you do not mind staining: the wine does not come out. Many use a specific T-shirt for the occasion.
Can you take us to Haro on the day of the battle?
Yes, although it is best to book in advance because it is one of the busiest days of the year in the area.
We take you to the festival
These are the busiest days of the year: book in good time and we take care of the transfer.
