Since 1963, when the month of October arrives, the Festa do Marisco has been celebrated in O Grove. Its main objective is to publicize the excellent seafood coming from the Arousa estuary. That is why a great effort is made to take special care of the quality of the product that is tasted during this celebration, seeking that the visitor learns to differentiate the flavor and characteristics of Galician seafood compared to other varieties.
- When is the Seafood Festival?
In 2024 the Festa do Marisco de O Grove will be celebrated from October 3 to 13.
This gastronomic-cultural event highlights the main pillars of O Grove’s economy: tourism and fishing.
Thanks to the collaboration of the San Martiño de O Grove Fishermen’s Guild and local producers, shellfish collectors and sailors, the Grove City Council collects products to be able to have the best specimens during the holidays. In this sense, interested parties can request information about the traceability of the product, as well as ask employees to explain the differentiating elements of local varieties of fish and seafood. The effort made to avoid the inclusion of foreign products is reflected in the processing of seafood, which is handled in front of the public in the festival’s dining rooms.Come closer and look at it, smell it and, above all, try it, you will understand what we are talking about.
Complementary activities
On the other hand, there are numerous complementary activities that are carried out during the course of this event. Every year a dish competition is held based on one of the star products: the mussel. This activity is organized by the Amegrove cooperative, which brings together the mussel farmers of the Arousa estuary. Also very popular are the live cooking demonstrations or the gastronomic days “A Cociña do Mar”, organized by the Grovenes Association of Goods and Services Businessmen, Emgrobes.
Highlights include the Seafood Concerts, a musical festival that accommodates a variety of styles and is attended by artists from the local, national and international scene. Traditional music also has a place in the festival, through the performance of Galician folklore dance groups and groups of bagpipers or tambourines, among others.
Continuing with the cultural offering, it is worth highlighting the Biennale of the International Outdoor Sculpture Symposium, an event that brings together three sculptors of international origin every two years to create new works in any of the varieties of granite. Galician. During these days, there are also courses, seminars and conferences of a scientific-commercial nature, such as the Cultivating the Sea Cycle, which brings together professionals from sectors related to the field of marine resources.
To complete the celebration, children’s activities are also included, such as popular games, or sports, such as the Cycle March, the Popular Race of the Festa do Marisco or the dorna regattas. both sailing and rowing.
Since 1963 the O Grove Seafood Festival has been celebrated when the month of October arrives. At that time, the initial objective of this celebration was to exalt the seafood of O Grove. After several editions of the contest, O Grove managed to achieve the nickname “Paraíso do Marisco” which it still boasts today and distinguishes it from other municipalities.
At the start of the 1980s, the size of these celebrations reached such heights that it made us think of the extension of the number of days that the following editions would last. This leads to an increase in folkloric, cultural and educational activities that revolve around the O Grove Seafood Festival.
It is obvious that the festival is one of the best showcases for the products coming from the Galician estuaries, as demonstrated by the incessant increase in visitors who come year after year. In this sense, we can affirm that visits have been received from all the Spanish provinces, as well as from a good part of the world, highlighting countries such as Germany, the United Kingdom, France and Italy, among others.
Without a doubt, the great economic impact of this festival is difficult to quantify, due to the multitude of sectors in which it indirectly impacts, both locally and in the province of Pontevedra.
The Festa do Marisco takes place in the port area of O Grove, specifically in the area of the O Corgo square. The tents under which the festival is celebrated occupy the surroundings of the fish market and market buildings, town hall and tourist office, creating a leisure area of more than 5,000 square meters.
To facilitate the arrival of visitors, during the holidays, specific signage is installed and parking areas are set up in the vicinity of the venue.
The celebration takes place under various tents with different purposes. The main ones are those dedicated to product tasting, which also include the glass-enclosed kitchen, the seafood collection stations and the box area for issuing product purchase receipts.
The remaining tents located in the O Corgo square and the port area correspond to:
– Event and institutional tent
– Concert tent
– Cafeteria tent
– Craft tents
1. When you are at the venue, go to the central boxes located under one of the two tasting tents. There you will find the list of products offered.
2. Acquire tickets for each type of seafood you want to consume, as well as drinks, bread, desserts and kitchenware, such as glasses and cutlery.
3.Once you have collected the tickets, exchange them for the different products at each of the kitchen stations. Each position specializes in a specific product. Therefore, you must stand in line, if there is one, at each arch of the arcade that houses them, thus being able to observe how many of the seafood is cooked.
4. Go to one of the tables located under the tents. Keep in mind that you will not find any type of seating, since the aim is to create a more festive atmosphere at the event.
5. It’s time to eat and drink everything you’ve acquired… Take advantage!
6. Keep in mind that this party is not just gastronomic… Visit the different tents and discover the various activities programmed.
SERVICES FOR FAMILIES
The Seafood Festival tries to improve the experience of families and therefore offers the following services:
–Lactation area. A breastfeeding area with changing tables has been set up in the tasting tents.
–Changing tables.The main bathrooms have changing tables.
–Children’s menus.
– Tracking bracelets. At the aid station, bracelets can be requested that allow the contact number to be entered so that, in the event of the minor’s loss, the parents or guardians can be easily located.
–Leisure activitiesfor all audiences:
– Popular games
– Exhibitions of traditional Galician music and dance
One of the fundamental commitments of the O Grove City Council in relation to the Festa do Marisco is to ensure that it generates the least amount of waste and environmental impact possible. In this line of work, in recent editions it has been achieved that all the utensils used (plates, trays and cutlery) are compostable, being a pioneering event in the care of these matters. Added to these initiatives were those relating to the management of napkins, which managed to reduce their consumption by half, and the elimination of cans and packaging, replacing them with returnable or recyclable glass.
Likewise, the last action carried out was the replacement of plastic cups, an element that usually generates large amounts of garbage. In this way, following the recommendations of the European Union, reusable cups are used at the Festa do Marisco. For this reason, 0.60 cents are paid for a reusable glass engraved with the Festa do Marisco emblem, which can be used every time drinks are consumed. This is a measure also implemented in large events throughout Spain and implies a notable reduction in plastic.
Complementary activities
During these days, numerous activities for children, sports and those related to gastronomy and music take place. In addition, courses, seminars and scientific-commercial conferences are given.
YOU MUST KNOW
In addition to the corresponding health regulations, the following applies to the Festa do Marisco:
– Smoking is not allowed in the covered party areas.
– The entry of animals is not allowed in areas authorized for food consumption.
