A Yearly Feast Closes Down Traffic in This Tiny Spanish Town — Travel Intelligence

September 23, 2017


On the last Friday of September — this year, the 29th — the town of Binissalem completely shuts down for a yearly feast known as "Sopar a la Fresca." It means dine outside and that's exactly what the residents of this tiny Mallorcan village do. They take to the streets, set up simple wooden or plastic tables, and sup on noodles and lamb.

We learned about this feast from Reddit user hermanodesconocido who posted a photo, captioned: Every year my whole town is closed to traffic because everybody has dinner on the streets, around 12000 people. This is just my street.

Here's what else he had to say about Sopar a la Fresca:

It's part of a two-week harvest festival called "Sa Vermada", where we celebrate the beginning of the grapes season. It is not compulsory, you can stay at home if you want, but almost everybody goes out and participates.

The tables are just simple wooden planks, and it depends on the house owner the number of tables you want to use or how many people you cook for.

Everybody eats noodles and lamb as the main dish, it's part of the tradition. It's all about the sharing and the socializing, there's no business involved, just a typical village fest.

In case you want to come, you will be welcome. We celebrate it the last Friday of September, so it's never the same day of the month, and the town's name is Binissalem.

We love the idea of a festival that's just about sharing and socializing — and, like some of the other Reddit users, we're obsessed with the typical Spanish drink of kalimotxo, a combination of equal parts wine and cola.

Reddit user drphungky commented: "Bottles of Coke every couple spots next to red wine, long tables with social eating, high buildings and narrow streets...this picture is extremely Spanish."

And this kicked off a flurried back-and-forth over whether this typical drink is "un crime" or brilliant. We think the latter.

Have you been to Mallorca for Sa Vermada? Have you tried kalimotxo?

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