The Amposta City Council has presented the official program for the XVIII Festa del Mercat a la Plaça (Market Festival in the Square), a historical reenactment event that this year comes of age. This celebration is considered one of the most participatory in the city, thanks to the involvement of residents who dress in period costumes to commemorate the ancestors who built modern-day Amposta.
“"The Market Festival is made by the citizens for the citizens, because part of its success lies in the involvement of the neighborhood that participates and dresses in period attire to commemorate the ancestors who forged today's Amposta."
The thematic focus of this edition will be the world of sports from the early 20th century. It will commemorate the centenary of the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya (Cycling Tour of Catalonia) passing over the Pont Penjant (Suspension Bridge) in 1926. For this reason, the great-grandson of a prominent Amposta cyclist of that era will be the town crier. In addition to cycling, the festival will also pay tribute to the Club de Futbol Amposta, a centenary entity that celebrated its 110th anniversary in 2025, with historical reenactment matches throughout the weekend.
The program includes over 110 activities for all ages, combining classic festival elements with notable novelties. The Festa del Mercat a la Plaça will officially begin on Friday, May 15, with the inauguration and proclamation, and will conclude on Sunday, May 17, evening with the traditional “Lo Passeig” parade.
Among the highlighted activities will be a reenactment of the Volta Ciclista on Saturday afternoon and period football matches during Saturday and Sunday mornings. New features such as a night route have also been scheduled, alongside established activities like the Enigmatic Race with Les Serenes, the Dinner in the Dark, or the Taste the Night Market. The “Pepito de Canes” costume contest will continue to be a cornerstone for fostering the period atmosphere in the streets, with more characters and trades from centenary Amposta than ever before.
As a prelude to the festival, on Thursday, April 30, the Museu de les Terres de l'Ebre (Museum of the Ebro Lands) will host the talk “From the Rice Field to the Velodrome: Cycling in Amposta in the Early 20th Century,” led by the grandson of the honored cyclist. Additionally, traditional games with schools and institutes will be repeated, this year incorporating a bike ride led by students from the Institut Montsià.
Tickets for the various shows and activities will be available for purchase starting Tuesday, April 28, at 9 a.m., both on the official website festadelmercat.cat and in person at the Oficina de Cultura, located in the Plaça del Mercat.
