The deputy mayor and president of District V, Isabel Ruiz Maldonado, accompanied by councilors Antonio Saldaña and Pilar Cruz, and the president of the Brotherhood of Our Lady the Virgin of El Val, Gema García Merino, unveiled the program. Ruiz Maldonado emphasized that the festivals, centered on devotion to the Patron Saint, will involve approximately forty entities, associations, and groups.
The festivities will kick off on Friday, September 18, with an open house at the Local Police Barracks and, in the afternoon, performances by dance schools at the Youth Park, followed by the traditional opening speech by athlete Arsenio Gómez Alcalá.
Saturday, September 19, will be a central day with activities such as an eco-fluvial route, a parade of giants and big-heads with a brass band, a calva championship, exhibitions, and children's workshops. The show 'Alcalá dances its jotas' in the Plaza de Cervantes aims to revive traditional dances. The program will also include musical performances, a tasting of Castilian products, and the procession of Our Lady of El Val from the Catedral-Magistral to her hermitage, followed by a concert by the group Sin Recreo.
On Sunday, September 20, the XXV Legua Popular El Val (Popular 25K Race of El Val) will take place, along with a guided tour about San Ignacio de Loyola, activities organized by festive groups, the Solemn High Mass, a solidarity paella by Caritas Diocesana, and the traditional 'Ronda' (serenade) to the Virgin of El Val.
Monday, September 21, will feature continued religious and cultural events, including a free guided tour focusing on the historic minor colleges of Alcalá and masses in honor of the Virgin. The return procession of Our Lady of El Val from her hermitage to the Iglesia Magistral-Catedral will mark the end of the main festive events.
Finally, on Saturday, September 26, the celebrations will conclude with the 'Virgen del Val' Petanque Tournament at the Municipal Petanque Field.
