The IX Alaquàs Artichoke Festival Blooms Stronger Than Ever With More Than 4,000 Attendees!The ‘Al Grano’ restaurant wins the Best Artichoke Tapa Competition by jury vote, while ‘La Bocattina’ wins the popular vote. The ‘Llavoretes’ collective wins the Rice Competition. The event held this past weekend reinforces its identity in four areas: gastronomy, culture, crafts, and commerce, bringing together residents from all surrounding towns in the Plaça Constitució, under the Castell d’Alaquàs.

Valencia, February 10, 2026. Alaquàs once again extolled its traditional Cant de la Carxofa with the celebration of its famous festival, which this year celebrated its ninth edition and is now stronger than ever. In just three days, the event has managed to gather more than 4,000 people. Under the slogan ‘The town that is reborn, the festival that blooms’, Alaquàs has been filled with cultural, artistic, and gastronomic activities, which also support local restaurants and businesses, not only from the municipality, but from all of l’Horta Sud. Residents from multiple surrounding towns and the centre of Valencia have travelled to the Plaça Constitució, the epicentre of the festival, and have enjoyed the programme under the iconic Castell d’Alaquàs.

Record figures in this 2026 edition, which was held from February 6 to 8. And not only because of the attendance figures, but also because of the tapas sold, which exceeded all expectations, with 5,700 servings. Up to seven restaurants set up shop in the square on Sunday. Likewise, from Friday and also on Saturday, the 13 craft stalls and another 12 commercial stalls remained set up next to the entrance of the ‘Castell’. All this was complemented by a full programme of activities, which included exhibitions in the Castell, as well as musical, dance, and singing performances, without forgetting the legendary ‘muixeranga’.

Undoubtedly, one of the main attractions of this Artichoke Festival – although it is not only gastronomic, but also generates high cultural and social value – is the Tapa Competition, which celebrated its third edition on Sunday. On this occasion, it had two winners. The professional jury, made up of Carlos Beltrán (Chef Hotel Montsant), Elsa Mahmoud (@elsaishungry), Toni Monzó (President of the Unió Musical d’Alaquàs), Marta Barrena and Majo Alcántara (@tastysouls_vlc), awarded the main prize of the day to the Al Grano restaurant, located in La Canyada, which was competing for the second year in the competition. Carles presented a tapa of artichoke rice, ‘ropa vieja’, truffled yolk, and beef broth.

For its part, in the popular category, La Bocattina won the public award, which is especially meritorious as it is a restaurant located in Paiporta, in the very eye of the Dana storm. Their tapa consisted of a polenta toast with carbonara cream, crispy artichoke, and veil of guanciale.

Activities for the whole family

With the passing of editions, the Artichoke Festival has been expanding its programming days, increasingly enriching this event with content. This year, the first day kicked off on Friday, February 6, with the opening of the crafts exhibition, which was open for three days, and with an artichoke torrà, which was also repeated throughout the weekend. The ‘El Tío la Careta’ concert put the finishing touch to the first day, where the weather foreshadowed the worst. Luckily, none of the activities had to be cancelled, and the rest of the days followed their own course.

On Saturday, February 7, as in the previous year, the celebration of the Rice with Artichokes Competition stood out, in which eight local associations competed for the award for the best recipe. The first prize went to Llavoretes-Parroquia Asunción, the second to Clavaris del Crist 2026, and the third to Falla Genovés. The three were awarded after the deliberation of a professional jury, made up of Nicola Sacchetta, (sommelier of the Anyora winery), Vicente Gil (Journalist), Paula Pons (Journalist), Ferran Salas (Journalist), and Encarna Conde (Associació Ames de Casa). Saturday was enlivened by the Xaranga Legends, in the morning, and by the group Yambú, at night.

And so we come to Sunday, the big day of the ‘Festa’, during which the gourmet and commercial area was the meeting point for local restaurants and those from other towns. Quarta Torre, La Cuina de Gemma, Pastisseria Dulces Elsa, l’Ateneu, La Bocattina, Al Grano and Capricho Andalú participated, all of them with innovative proposals based on the artichoke. The public was also able to enjoy activities such as the performance of the Muixeranga d’Algemesí, the Grup de Danses l’Olivar and the Poleo. Also, during the morning in the cloister of the Castle, attendees were able to listen to the Cor Carxofa, Nova Coral, Ballet Balanç, Escola de Dansa and Ballet Escola UMA.

About the Artichoke Festival

For the ninth consecutive year, the Artichoke Festival has turned Alaquàs into the epicentre of gastronomy and tradition. The Cant de la Carxofa, an identifying symbol of the municipality, will be celebrated again in August, but will continue to have its reminder in the middle of the year, as a symbol of a town that deeply feels its roots. For this reason, this year’s meeting, although more playful, once again moved and reminded us that this celebration is, above all, a tribute to the history, culture, and roots of its people.

Since its creation in 2016, the Festa de la Carxofa of Alaquàs has been more than a gastronomic event: it constitutes a reflection of the town’s identity. Inspired by the traditional Cant de la Carxofa, which is celebrated every September in the town, under the patronage of the Virgen del Olivar and the Cristo de la Buena Muerte, this initiative seeks to keep the connection between the community, culture, and environment alive, through a second annual event focused on fellowship and cultural diversity.

 Report by Will McCarthy

Article copyright ‘24/7 Valencia’

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