What do you get when eight Fallas commissions join forces? Massive fireworks, of course! The Federación Amigos de la Pólvora de Benicalap formed in 1998 to attract people to Valencia’s northeastern neighborhood for Fallas. The federation started with just a few friends but has now grown to over 1500 members. We already associated Benicalap with fireworks, ever since witnessing a spectacular night Mascletá for Fallas 2022 by Pirotecnia Alpujarreña. And after learning that their fifth annual Macro Mascletà Universal event would be shot by Pirotecnia Vulcano, we hopped on our bikes. Destination: Benicalap!
When Pirotecnia Vulcano is responsible for a mascletà, you can rest assured that you’re in for a great show. In 2018, we saw one that they organized for Fallas, and uploaded a video of it with the title: Best Mascletà Ever. Even to this day, we stand behind that claim. Their firing is precise and synchronized, while also managing to be creative and colorful, and the company has won a special place into our gunpowder filled hearts. If Vulcano is in charge of a fireworks show, we’ll probably be there!
On June 22nd, late in the morning we biked out to Benicalap. For some reason, we always manage to arrive while the pyrotechnicians are enjoying their almuerzo (the Spanish meal between breakfast and lunch). But they deserved the break, because they had been setting up 300 kgs of fireworks, since 8 am. We were able to take some photos and videos of the setup and once they were done eating, we documented how they go about constructing a Mascletà, rolling out and propping up long strings of interconnected firecrackers. We also loved watching how they filled the mortar tubes which are used for the aerial parts of the fireworks.
The shooting of the Macro Mascletà was set for 9pm, so we had plenty of time to kill. Luckily, these events aren’t just fireworks but also a big street party. DJs were playing music for hours before the show, and we enjoyed the party atmosphere.
Right before the fireworks, the Falleras and Falleros of the neighborhood commissions marched in. The warning shots were fired and the mascletà started exactly at 9pm. What an amazing, strong firework this was, with several colorful aerial pieces which just looked beautiful against the sunset sky. And the terremoto (earthquake) at the end left us slack-jawed, unable to take another breath until it was over, and the ground had stopped trembling.
From our Fireworks Festivals Blog.
More Photos and a Video
