Valencia grinds to a halt for regional day celebrations

Many thousands of people celebrated the Day of the Valencian Community across the region yesterday. At noon, the Real Senyera, the symbol of the community left Valencia Town Hall for its procession around the city (photo), carried this year by regional Social Services minister, Marta Torrado.

Earlier, regional president, Francisco Camps, had handed out the Prizes of the Autonomy to the various winners, and in a speech during the prize-giving ceremony, he stated that the new statutes of autonomy would enable the region to reach new levels of prosperity and growth.

Also yesterday, the Valencian government organised a special 'sea festival' as a way of marking the Americas Cup races that will take place next year.

Similar processions and celebrations also took place in Castellon and Alicante, with an afternoon reception being held in the Palau of the Generalitat, whilst the day's celebrations ended with a tremendous firework display staged inside the old Turia riverbed gardens.

Caballer show to light up Valencia Day celebrations
By: valencialife.net
Sunday, October 8, 2006

Valencian firework maestro Ricardo Caballer will give a firework display tonight during which some 4,000 kilos of gunpowder will be set off in fireworks and special effects rockets marking the start of the 27th annual Valencia Firework Festival.

Tonight's display, which is being promoted byValencia provincial council, will use six computers to synchronise the show that is expected to last just over eighteen minutes.

The Ricardo Caballer company thus far in its 120 years of existence has won over a dozen international prizes for its displays.