Great atmosphere at the "Encuentro de Rondas" held in Villanueva de los Infantes

On April 12, the “Cruz de Santiago” Association held another edition of the Rondas Festival, one of its annual events that has become a fixture on Villanueva de los Infantes’ cultural calendar. Despite the unpredictable weather, the skies cleared long enough for everyone to fully enjoy the traditional music and dancing in the town’s streets.

The event featured the “Orígenes” group from Albacete as a guest performer, which, together with the rondalla and the dance group from the Cruz de Santiago Association, led a lively parade from Plaza de San Juan to Plaza Mayor, stopping along the route to perform various traditional dances. During the day, they also visited the “Casa de Don Manolito” Day Center and the Casa de Rueda, bringing folk music to different parts of the town.

Back at the Plaza Mayor, at 1:30 p.m., an open dance session took place, where people of all ages could join in and enjoy dancing to the rhythms of malagueñas, jotas, seguidillas, and pasodobles. The Councilor for Culture and Tourism, Francisco Javier Peinado, along with the president of the “Cruz de Santiago” Association, Miguel Plaza, presented the visiting group with souvenirs of the event and the town.

The main objective of this type of gathering is to promote fun through traditional music in an open and participatory atmosphere.

The “Cruz de Santiago” Association highly values both the participation and the atmosphere experienced during the day. They also wished to extend a special thank you to the “Orígenes” group from Albacete for their enthusiasm, friendliness, and musical quality—elements that helped strengthen new bonds of friendship among the participants.