Market days and festivals in villages

[Carol06]

I am walking the Camino again next year and would love to know what days the villages and towns hold their local market days. I was fortunate enough to stumble across a huge market in Leon while there, and another in Belorado. I would love to know in advance what days I will find a market and where. I have searched websites and can find nothing of use. Perhaps forum members could post what markets they came across and a list can be compiled.
The same goes for local village festivals. I was lucky enough to be in Santa Domingo De la Calzada when they had their festival. It even had a local bullfight as well as the wonderful street parades and church services. And I missed the jousting at Hospital de Orbigo by just a few days. Some festivals I would love to be part of and some avoid like the plague but it would be great to know where and when a festival is being held. :?:

 

[Tia Valeria]

There are some markets posted here, helpfully bumped up the listings.
http://www.caminodesantiago.me/board/el-camino-frances/topic13747.html

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Will you be changing your itinerary to get to a town market? Belorado has one on Monday.

 

[Olivares]

I loved Belorado! I found their locals to be among the friendliest along The Camino. The albergue "A Santiago" located as you walk into town was fantastic in every sense!

The September Wine festivals (Fiestas de la Vendimia) in La Rioja region are the best, specially the Fiestas de San Mateo in Logroño (always a week long around Mid-Sept).

 

[Yallah]

Removed

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Can we buy your book, then, if an answer to the question is not free?

 

[Yallah]

Removed

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Having the time.

I suppose that is a critical difference between those who offer free help and those with something to sell. There is no business model for free assistance! All it takes is time.

 

[Rebekah Scott]

Ouch, Falcon.

I offer pilgrims a lot of free information and assistance, but there are limits.
If I gave all the information and assistance to everyone who asked me for it, I would not have time to earn the money I need to feed myself. I would be an unpaid travel agent.

Asking someone to compile and post a long list of information you may or may not end up using is asking too much. It takes TONS of time and effort to compile lists of information, especially when you are pulling from sources that are forever changing, not to mention published in another language. That is why people who go to the trouble of compiling guides should to be PAID for their work, unless they choose to donate it.

Things you get for free are often worth every penny you pay for them.
Besides, there is a lot to be learned from just walking the camino and finding these things for yourself as you go along.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Of course authors should make money from their efforts, just not in the Forum.

No one is required to post. Normally the choice is between saying nothing or answering the question. Answering with a link to a book you are hawking is wrong on several levels.

Silly Doll has a number of commercial efforts, but has posted entire sections of her writing in response to questions, or just does not post at all. I do not recall her ever saying "Buy my book and find the answer." Such a post would likely be deleted.

 

[NoQ]

I wouldn't have thought it would take more than 20 minutes or so to jot down on the forum some of the towns and villages that have markets and on what day of the week, especially given that they are apparently already listed in the margin of the book that's being pushed across the forum.

It would be a genuinely useful and interesting piece of information for pilgrims.

Looking forward to Yallah's market day post.

 

[Tia Valeria]

Sometimes people ask about directions etc, we point them to the CSJ guides and the new Cicerone guide. We could spend ages sorting through our notes and posting, but if the information is available then it isn't always necessary. Occasionally some specific notes are needed. However asking some-one to list all the markets here and criticising them for not doing so seems to me to be unfair.

We can all post here with markets we have found, or if we don't know any then read the sample of the book, or even buy it maybe :wink:

I think Reb's post sums it up better then I have done, thanks Reb.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

You can watch the Portomarin market on webcam. Fridays I think.

Don't be obtuse. Yallah is peddling!!

 

[Yallah]

Hi friends,

I've removed my previous posts and offer sincere apologies to anyone they offended.
Here's the list of market days we found in our book research. Corrections and additions welcome!

SJPP: Monday
Puente la Reina: Thursday
Estella: Thursday
Los Arcos: Saturday
Logroño: Sunday
Santo Domingo: Saturday
Belorado: Monday
Navarrete: Wednesday
Frómista: Friday
Carrión: Thursday (since 1618!)
Sahagún: Saturday
León: Wednesday and Saturday
Astorga: Tuesday
Ponferrada: Wednesday and Saturday
Melide: Sunday
Santiago: Thursday

 

[Thornley]

No need to apologise mate
Thanks for update
David

 

[Carol06]

Thank you everyone for your responses. I never expected to stir up such a storm and I am pleased that sanity has finally prevailed. I have now noted the posts into my guide book. Any more replies would be most welcome.
Is there much information out there re town festivals?

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Carrion de Los Condes continued toward a 400 year record with its Thursday market today.

 

[Carol06]

As far as festivals go, I know that San Fermin is due in just over a week but do people know that there is a lead up every month to San Fermin? I was in Pamplona on the 5th of May last year and the town was full of bands and dance groups all wearing great costumes. Apparently there is a party every month before July. The first is on the 1st of January, the next is on the 2nd of February, then the 3rd day of the 3rd month, 4th of the 4th month and so on up until the big one on the 7th July when they have the running of the bulls. It is fun if you are there at the time.

 

[Carol06]

I am trying to send a pm to Falcon but every time I press send I am told that I cannot connect to the forum. If you have actually received my pm Falcon you have probably got it three times now. And if you did not receive it I just want to say thank you for your help. I don't seem to be able to receive private messages either.

 

[Tia Valeria]

Hola Carole,
If you have sent/received a large number of PM's your box might be full. If you delete some then new ones will come in. There is a setting also to automatically delete the oldest PM's. Look in 'messages; rules settings' etc

 

[hecate105]

For market days on a French route there is a book 'Markets of France by Janice Gallagher. Handy list at the back of all the markets area by area - I always photocopy the page for wherever i'm visiting. Although the markets are SO expensive now!