CavaTast, Sitges Film Festival, FIMPT or an Iberian Weekend?

A fast look at the events calendars for Penedès for this weekend, October 5-7, confirm that our local decision makers do not coordinate their event planning at all. For a short moment I considered being evil and ranking the events (that would certainly have made me loved by a few cava producers up in Sant Sadurní d’Anoia, but hated by most of my neighbours…) but then I realized that I do not need to. Possibly, I am one of the few who want to go to all the four festivals we will have here now – most other people might have more specific preferences.

Cava and wine tourists in the D.O. Penedès simply have to pass by CavaTast, the cava week and market in Sant Sadurní d’Anoia (Alt Penedès) – a unique opportunity to sample and buy this “sparkling happiness”!

Fans of fantasy of horror movies will already be in Sitges (Garraf) where the International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia has already begun and will continue throughout next week and weekend.

Music lovers – especially those interested in traditional Catalan music – will want to go to FIMPT – the world music festival of Vilanova i la Geltrú (Garraf) – from this year celebrated in the autumn, and not in the summer as earlier.

People interested in history, finally, will want to combine visits to the Citadel of Calafell (Baix Penedès) and the old fortress of Olèrdola (Alt Penedès) where they organize an Iberian Weekend.

So, these were the four big theme activities this weekend, but there is a lot more going on.

Those of you who are interested in sports should, above all, consider the roller hockey Penedès super-derby between C.P. Calafell Tot l’Any and Moritz C.E. Vendrell taking place in Calafell, but also the half marathon in El Vendrell (Baix Penedès) or the scenic swimming competition Marnaton along the coast of the nature reserve Garraf, starting in Sitges.

This time Penedès has too much to offer – please, interpret it as an invitation to come here now, and then come back again… and again... and again!

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You might wonder why there are not any human tower exhibitions this weekend. The answer is simple – precisely this weekend Tarragona (less than 45 minutes away from here) will see the biggest competition there is a Catalonia, the bi-annual Concurs de Castells in Tarraco Arena Plaça.

Among the 20 teams on the Saturday, Penedès is represented by Bordegassos de Vilanova, Colla Jove de Castellers de Sitges, Minyons de l’Arboç, Moixiganguers d’Igualada, Nens del Vendrell and Xicots de Vilafranca.

And on the Sunday, Castellers de Vilafranca are alone among 11 other teams from outside Penedès. In my heart, I will be there with them – in all honesty I was a fan of the green team (“els Verds”) long before I put on Bordegassos’ yellow shirt for the first time!

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By Erik Wirdheim – your guide to Catalan society and culture with a special focus on the cava and wine region Penedès.