Dates of some important Festivals

January 18
Barcelona, Caldes de Montbuí
Fiesta de Els Tres Tombs - cavalcade of harnessed horses

January 20
Tossa de Mar
Pelegri de Tossa - pilgrimage along the road between Tossa de Mar and Santa Coloma de Farnès to honour a promise made in the 14thC.

Sunday before Carnaval
Igualada
Festa dels Traginers - festival celebration the age-old tradition of comercial traders using mules for transport. Gigants and cabezudos preceed the mule and donkey parade.

Carnaval
Solsona, Sitges, Vilanova i la Geltrú, Barcelona Carnaval parades. The most carnal is in Sitges.

On Sunday's in March, April, and May
Cervera - The Mystery of the Passion
Esparreguera - The Passion
Olesa - The Passion
Ulldecona - Sacred Drama of the Passion
These passion plays recreate the final days of Christ's life, and often include casts of hundreds of townsfolk, and are celebrated in interior of the Chuch or in the streets

First Sunday in March
Sitges
International Rally of Antique cars between Sitges and Barcelona.

Saturday before Palm Sunday
Vic
Mercat de Ram - a large market of plants and animals, and some festivities.

Easter Thurday
Verges
Easter Procession - with a particularly macabre version of the Passion, with five skeleton dancers.

April 23
Barcelona
Día de Sant Jordi - Sant George's Day, a festival of books and roses.

April 27
Monastery of Montserrat
Day of the Virgin of Montserrat, Catalonia's patron saint.

Sunday after May 11
Ripoll
Festa de la Llana, a celebration of local sheep-shearers.

Last half of May
Girona
Floral exhibit/contest: the streets and major monuments are beautifully festooned with Spring flowers of every description. A lovely time to visit Girona...

Whitsunday or Pentecost
Sant Feliu de Pallerols
Festa Major - lasting from Friday before Pentecost until the following Tuesday.

First Sunday of June
Calella
Aplec de la Sardana - a day-long celebration of Sardanas with varios cobles.

Corpus Christi, the Thursday after Trinity Sunday
Berga
La Patum - five days of noisy and rowdy festivals with fireworks.

Corpus Christi
Sitges
Alfombras de flores - Spain's most famous competition of streets carpeted with flowers.

June 23
Throughout Catalonia
Verbena de Sant Juan - summer solistice festival with bonfires, fireworks, and street parties

June 29
Sant Cugat de Vallès
Ball de Vano i Ram - Sant Peter's Day celebration with folkloric dances.

July 2
Olot
Aplec de la Sardana - Catalonia's best cobles perform Sardanas, with over 5,000 dancers.

mid-July
Sort
River Rally, Río Noguera Pallaresa - where teams descend the rapids on make-shift rafts where spectators enjoy grilled lamb with pa amb tomaquet.

July 24
Lloret de Mar
Festes de Santa Cristina - town's patron saint, with folk dancing - the traditional Morratxa.

Lleida
Els fanalets de Sant Jaume - children parade carrying lanterns symbolizing Sant James.

August 16
Amer
Festa Major - includes Sardana dancing with gigants in Catalonia's largest Plaça Major.

August 24
Lloret de Mar
Santa Cristina - festivities include the Dance of Las Almorratxes, and a sea-borne procession.

end of August
Vilafranca del Penedès
Festa Major - in honour of patron saint Sant Feliu, one of Catalonia's most complete festivals.

September 11
Catalonia's national day
A somber festival of floral offering to national heroes, in memory of resistance and eventual fall of Barcelona to Bourbon forces in 1714.

starting second Thursday of September
Theater Festival of Tarrega
Southern Europe's most important theater festival, with over 100 shows during a four-day period, many of which take place in the labyrinth of streets in Tarrega's medieval old town.

second Sunday of September
Cardona
Festa Major i Corre de Bou - includes running of the bulls

week of September 24
Barcelona
Festes de la Mercè - a long-weekend festival includes traditional activities plus dozens of concerts and cultural activities of every description. There is no better time to visit Barcelona.

September 24
Olot
Fires de Sant Luc - festa major with folkdancing and popular dinners

Late October, early November
Girona
Sant Narcis - week of All Saint's Day. Girona's major festival, with agricultural fair, and the Province's most ambitious cultural events, from free concerts to castells and street theater.

Third week of November
Banyoles
mostly agricultural and crafts fair of Sant Martirià - Firestany

December

Various towns
Els Pastorets i Pessebres vivents - theatrical representations of the Nativity scene.

December 24
Throughout Catalonia
Miss de Gallo - midnight mass.

December 30
Centelles
Festa del Pi - festival of the pine tree, where a large pine is brought down from the mountain and adorned in front of the Church accompanied by thundering musket shots...