Festival in Oviedo??

[Steve Stamps]

I'm preparing for The San Salvador with the help of the many sources here and am having trouble deciding the date. I have heard that there is a Festival in Oviedo during Sept - 2018, BTW - and I guess that would not be the best time to be there unless I want to PARTY. I'm just there for the Camino. Does anyone have the exact dates so that I can work my schedule around that? Thanks.

 

[Deleted member 56069]

Steve, my wife and I are looking at the San Salvador and Primitivo in Sept. this year as well.
Primitivo is for sure, still working on convincing my wife on the San Salvador as she thinks it may be too rugged and not enough facilities for her own comfort zone.
I would want to avoid any festival as well so interested in the date as well.

 

[Jan_D]

Hi, you're thinking of the Fiestas de San Mateo (note: fiestas with an "s" for plural!) which last for about a week, until St Matthew's Day on 21 September 2018. In the midst of this you also have the "Dia de America en Asturias" (a celebration of the Asturians who departed for and returned from the Americas, big crowds, lots of floats and colourful costumes). The big days will probably be: the weekend following the "pregon" (announcement/ opening of festivities, this year around the 14th), the Day of the Americas on 19/09, a huge fireworks display on 20th, and then all the parades and festivities on Saint Matthew's Day itself.

I was there for a day during the festivities last year (can't remember which day exactly, probably the final day as I remember a procession) - anyway it was a huge amount of fun! SO many people, but also lots of traditional foods and copious amounts of sidra and vino. Lots of folk singing together. Very joyous, and a real cultural experience I'm glad I didn't miss! (p.s. I've had enough sleepless nights due to fiestas in Spain to understand the instinct to avoid, but from what I remember most events are in the city centre around the cathedral (in fact it seems they have a concert in the square until at least 1am for a whole week!), but perhaps you'd be ok if you stayed in a hotel on the outskirts?)

 

[Steve Stamps]

That is pretty much the way i was seeing it in my mental picture!!!! Maybe I'll adjust the schedule a bit so that I slide thru just before or after.. Thanks, Jan D.

 

[Steve Stamps]

Ok, i made an executive decision. I'm moving my San Salvador/Primitivo camino to month of May. Maybe some iffy weather, but still should be doable. Thanks all for your input & ideas from the entire forum.

 

[Ella L.]

Ok, i made an executive decision. I'm moving my San Salvador/Primitivo camino to month of May. Maybe some iffy weather, but still should be doable. Thanks all for your input & ideas from the entire forum.

Greetings...there is a fiesta in Oviedo in May...Martes de Campo falls at the end of May or beginning of June depending on Pentecost. It is however a children friendly festival...blue dye in the fountains, and bollos (chorizo stuffed bread) abound! I was in Oviedo for last year's San Mateo as well (always Fiesta when I come to town)...and the poster who said that most of the activity was around the main cathedral square is correct....only the end of the night's festivities was closer to 3 AM...I was staying in the Hotel Ovetense, some 50m downwind from the main stage. Walking the the San Salvador in September wasn't particularly weather friendly, either...it was wet and cold at altitude and very windy at times...but I am closer to 70 than I would like to admit, and it was very doable.

 

[Aptrail]

Ok, i made an executive decision. I'm moving my San Salvador/Primitivo camino to month of May. Maybe some iffy weather, but still should be doable. Thanks all for your input & ideas from the entire forum.

Ok, i made an executive decision. I'm moving my San Salvador/Primitivo camino to month of May. Maybe some iffy weather, but still should be doable. Thanks all for your input & ideas from the entire forum.

Greetings Steve, Thanks for raising this question. I had not even thought about it. I will be a hospitalero in Granon during early May then will be walking San Salvadaor y Primitivo in the latter part of the month. Maybe I will see you in passing. Buen Camino.