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Writer's pictureLuis Valentin

Cereza Festival in Castillo de Locubín


The Castillo de Locubín Cherry Festival is the best example of how an agricultural activity can become a tourist and gastronomic attraction. Every year, when the cherries are almost ready to be picked, this municipality in the Sierra Sur de Jaén prepares for a party that, with more than 35 years of experience, has become a Spanish tradition.


It was on July 1,1984, when Castilleras decided to pay tribute to their s product. The City Council, in collaboration with the only women's association that existed at that time in the municipality, the Association of Housewives "La Villeta", organized a day to showcase in the Municipal Park, different dishes and desserts, all made from local cherries. The first years the party lasted only one day, in which a gastronomic and farming contest was a main attraction. Little by little, numerous activities were introduced: literary contests, conferences on cherry cultivation ... until reaching the current format. At first, the festival started in the Municipal Park, but due to its growth, the location had to be extended to surrounding streets and each year it is enriched with new contributions that allow the growth and development of the Festival.


Today, 36 years later, the party has been extended to three days, normally held the second or third weekend in June. Poetry, painting, festivals, clay pigeon shooting, races, tastings, markets, parades, exhibitions ... One of the latest activities to be added is the "Cereza Castillera" Haute Cuisine contest. The chefs who make it to the final delight the crowds with their delicious cherry. Some of the popular contest categories are: specialty dishes, desserts and sweets, drinks and growers. Cherries are a very versatile fruit that is used for both sweet and savory dishes, even for making vinegar. Some of the typical dishes are the cherry gazpacho, the jam, or the Joyico (a kind of song with oil bread, ham and cherries).


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