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La Voz de Madrid

Colmenar Viejo Recovers Tradition with 10th Shepherding and Artisanal Cheese Fair

The Madrid municipality celebrates its livestock heritage with transhumance, workshops, and a premier national cheese exhibition.

Generic image of artisanal cheeses at a fair.
IA

Generic image of artisanal cheeses at a fair.

Colmenar Viejo is preparing for the tenth edition of its Shepherding Days and an Artisanal Cheese Fair, an event that honors the livestock roots of the Madrid mountains with activities in the Dehesa de Navalvillar and the Plaza de Toros.

This weekend, Colmenar Viejo will reclaim its most traditional essence with the celebration of the X Shepherding Days and a top-tier Artisanal Cheese Fair. The town will transform into a meeting point between tradition and gastronomy, offering a unique experience that will take place between the Dehesa de Navalvillar and the Plaza de Toros.
The event, now in its tenth year, is consolidating as a fundamental pillar for the preservation of collective memory and a sincere tribute to the shepherding profession, which for centuries was the economic and social engine of the area. The Tourism councilor, Rocío Cámara Pellón, emphasizes the importance of this recognition.
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"Once again, these days represent a recognition of those who made shepherding their life, an ancient and demanding profession that for years sustained many families in the town."

Rocío Cámara Pellón · Tourism Councilor of Colmenar Viejo
Activities will begin on Friday, April 10, in the Vallejo de la Hierba, within the Dehesa de Navalvillar. The stars will be the native churra colmenareña sheep, with shepherding and hand and machine shearing demonstrations. Approximately 1,600 students, from primary to university level, are expected to attend, making the event a valuable educational resource.
On Saturday, April 11, the highlight will be the transhumance of a goat herd, which will depart at 10:00h from the Dehesa de Navalvillar to the Plaza de Toros, arriving around 12:30h. This visual spectacle, declared a Representative Manifestation of Intangible Cultural Heritage, will allow residents and visitors direct contact with livestock farming.
Concurrently, the esplanade of the Plaza de Toros will host the Artisanal Cheese Fair, open from 11:00 to 20:00h. It will feature 20 national producers offering a wide variety of cheeses from different regions of Spain, including Asturias, Cantabria, Extremadura, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y León, and the Community of Madrid. Additionally, there will be traditional wooden games, wool workshops with the IAIA Association, and a free tasting of shepherd's migas at 13:00h, all enlivened by DJ music.

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