weird european festivals

January 5, 2007 9:50 AM

I'm looking for quirky events or festivals around europe, especially near or around spain between january and may of this year. For example, there is an local eel tossing festival in London or a bridge jumping festival in Poland. The more fun, entertaining or quirky the festival the better!
posted by nyu2 to Travel & Transportation (7 answers total)

It's only just in May, and I don't know if it exactly counts as near Spain, but there is a famous cheese rolling festival in Gloucestershire in England each year. This year it is on 28 May.
posted by greycap at 10:15 AM on January 5, 2007

Las Fallas in Valencia in March, without a doubt! Bring earplugs.

"The scene at Las Fallas is extremely cathartic and difficult to describe, but resembles a cross between a bawdy Disneyland, the Fourth of July and the end of the world!"
posted by footnote at 10:20 AM on January 5, 2007

On the spring bank holiday there's an event called "Cheese Rolling" that I go to every year: It's basically grown men tumbling down a hill at high speed. Very amusing!

See Here
posted by philsi at 10:29 AM on January 5, 2007

I'm not sure if it's between January and May (the date hasn't yet been announced), but there's the NoWhere festival in northern Spain. It's like Burning Man in the U.S. For your sake, I hope it is in the spring because it sounds like exactly the kind of thing you are looking for.
posted by infinityjinx at 11:18 AM on January 5, 2007

Stay until August for the big tomato fight in Valencia, Spain!
posted by B-squared at 2:39 PM on January 5, 2007

Berlin's Love Parade
posted by umlaut at 6:00 PM on January 5, 2007

Thanks for the Las Fallas recommendation. Know that there is at least one other reader happy to have this question answered (ES/PT, March??)!
posted by whatzit at 3:44 PM on February 1, 2007