The neighborhood of Osintxu, in Bergara, will celebrate its local festival this Friday starting with the Martiritxo's Descent at 6:00 PM. The events will continue throughout the weekend with music, gastronomy, and sports activities.
Following the descent, the annual fancy dress cycling parade will depart towards Soraluze. There, the residents of Plaentxia will organize a snack to welcome the cyclists, which will be shared with the people of Osintxu in a festive atmosphere. After approximately a two-hour stay, the cyclists will begin their return to Osintxu, arriving around 8:00 PM. At that time, the trikitilaris of Osintxu will lead a street parade to entertain the neighbors.
From 10:00 PM onwards, music will take center stage with concerts by the bands Kilimak and Berba Labanakaz. Afterwards, DJ Swanabak and DJ Verdejos will play music.
On Saturday, the main day of the festival, a cooking contest will be held starting at 11:00 AM. This long-standing competition will feature the dish 'potatoes Osintxu-style', complemented with pork ribs and chorizo. The pots prepared for the contest will be eaten at the communal meal, as is tradition. Ten contestants will participate, and the festival committee has stated they would prepare another pot if many people sign up for the meal.
To liven up the post-meal period, a musical bingo will be played, where participants must guess song titles and artists. Following this, an awards ceremony will take place for the best individual and group costumes from the cycling parade, as well as for the cooking competition. Prizes will include lunches or dinners at restaurants in Bergara and Osintxu.
In the afternoon, starting at 7:00 PM, DJ Track will lead a mobile musical performance, animating the square and the area around Gema's bar. In the evening, there will be a romeria (traditional Basque festival) with the group Laket, followed by DJ Arno until the early morning hours.
Sunday will feature the traditional 'karitatea' (charity distribution). As every year, the delicious broth and cooked meat in small bread rolls prepared the previous day will be distributed for free at midday at Gema and the txosna (food stall). The broth, made in a large cauldron, was blessed by the priest.
At 12:00 PM, handball matches will be played at the local fronton, with games in the U13 and U15 categories. In the afternoon, from 5:30 PM onwards, there will be inflatables for children's enjoyment, and at 8:00 PM, the festival will conclude with the ascent of Martiritxo.
