Alovera celebrated the San Miguel weekend with numerous activities that brought together the community. The local council organised a range of events aimed at families, social groups, and visitors, ensuring high participation throughout the weekend.
The festivities kicked off on Saturday with a family-friendly morning featuring a charity market supporting local NGOs, including Manos Unidas, Cruz Roja, AECC, Didesur, the Juan Pablo II Senior Residence, and Scaut San Miguel Alovera. This event showcased local solidarity and included workshops, inflatable attractions, and foam activities provided by Fitness Sportland.
Later, a large charity paella was prepared by local volunteers from Cáritas, serving over 350 residents who purchased tickets to support the organisation's social work in the municipality, with assistance from the La Caixa Foundation. Concurrently, the Federation of Peñas hosted the second edition of the paella competition, where eight groups competed for the top prize, ultimately won by the Alo Loco group, followed by Rezagaos and Alovera Beach. This event fostered camaraderie among the groups and included various games at the fairgrounds.
In the afternoon, music took centre stage in the Plaza Mayor, beginning with a children's musical performance by Cantaduris, which attracted a full audience eager to enjoy songs that delighted the young attendees. Following this, national broadcaster El Pulpo energised the plaza with his DJ skills. The day also featured a popular final bull release of September, an event that draws significant local interest.
On Sunday, religious ceremonies in honour of San Miguel included a mass and a traditional procession through the streets, accompanied by the Villahermosa de Alovera music band. Cultural activities were also prominent, with two competitions taking place. Twenty artists participated in the San Miguel outdoor painting contest, showcasing their work at various locations throughout the town. Simultaneously, a children's drawing competition was held in the plaza, providing free kits from the council, which attracted over 70 participants.
In the afternoon, all artworks were displayed for public viewing and judged, followed by the announcement of winners for both contests, along with the “your photo of the festivities” competition from the previous Carmen festivities. The winners of the rapid painting contest were as follows:
- 1st prize: Pablo Rubén López Sanz from Griñón, Madrid
- 2nd prize: Miguel Ángel Rodríguez from Alovera
- 3rd prize: Marisol de Marcos Miguel from Encinillas, Segovia
- 4th prize: Patricia Jiménez Molina from Venturada, Madrid
- 5th prize: Pilar Sánchez from Alcalá de Henares
- Accésit: María Gómez del Prado from Alovera
Local winners included:
- 1st prize: Nuria Albesa Castellfort from Alovera
- 2nd prize: María Belén Pajares Leo from Alovera
Related news includes Alovera's participation in preparatory sessions for RED.ES and FEMP, the approval of a road resurfacing plan worth €958,000, a meeting hosted by the Association Las Encinas, the appointment of five new officers in Alovera, and the launch of the town's first multisensory classroom. Additionally, the municipality has confirmed the acquisition of European funds for smart city initiatives.
