🇪🇸 The Tapa Weekend: October 11
The October 12 parade, a Day of the Dead altar and tons of really old books.
By @IanMount and @AdrianBono | October 11, 2024 | Madrid | Issue #70
🎉 Welcome to a new issue of The Tapa: Weekend Edition! An English-language newsletter about what to do this weekend in Madrid (plus memes!)
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Here Are 5 Things to Do in Madrid This Weekend
Happy Friday, everyone!
It’s a special weekend as Spain celebrates its national day, which commemorates the Spanish legacy worldwide—mainly because Oct. 12, 1492 is when Columbus “discovered” (lol) the Americas and it all went to hell after that kindly introduced everyone to the horse.
Anyway, here are five great options for you this weekend.
Enjoy!
1.🎇 Spain’s National Day or Dia de la Hispanidad
It’s here!
The National Day of Spain parade, held annually in Madrid, is a one-of-a-kind celebration that commemorates Spain’s rich history and cultural influence (mainly in Latin America).
Thousands of people gather in downtown Madrid to witness this grand display of national pride and unity, making it one of the most anticipated events of the year.
The parade is the main attraction as it involves the Armed Forces, the Civil Guard and the National Police, along with civil forces. There’s a wide array of land vehicles and aircraft, showing Spain’s military (because we once were the most powerful empire in the world, you know!). There will be tanks, armored vehicles, helicopters and fighter jets. Woo-hoooo 🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸
And in case you were wondering, the King and Queen of Spain will also be present, along with PM Pedro Sánchez, cabinet members and many other A-list politicians. Oh, and there will be paratroopers! (People jumping off planes with parachutes and Spanish flags.)
A highlight of the event is the raising of the National Flag, when the flag is hoisted and a tribute is paid to those who lost their lives in service of Spain. So you know… all in all a pretty exciting event.
We’ll talk about the conquistadors some other day. 🤫
National Day of Spain Parade. Plaza Canovas del Castillo, Madrid. Oct. 12, 11 a.m. Free admission.
2.💀 Day of the Dead Altar at Casa de Mexico
If you feel like there’s nothing to celebrate on Oct. 12 and prefer to dabble in some Latin American magic, we have options for you because it’s that time of the year again!
And no, we’re not talking about Halloween—we’re talking about Mexico’s Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead), which celebrates the memory of those loved ones who have left us.
Lucky for us, every year Casa de Mexico in Spain celebrates this tradition by adorning its façade with typical Día de Muertos elements.
It’s one of the most impressive displays you’ll see on the streets of Madrid this month. And then of course there’s the Mega Altar of the Dead, located on the lobby staircase, adorned with flower garlands and confetti. All of it made by artisans from the town of Tepozlán, in the Mexican state of Morelos.
And…there is a slew of activities such as culinary and crafts workshop, film screenings and guided tours. Remember: you need to subscribe to their newsletter to get a link to the invites that get added every Friday. (Hurry, slots get filled fast.)
Casa de Mexico’s Día de Muertos: Casa de Mexico, Calle de Alberto Aguilera, 20, Madrid. Through Nov. 10. Free admission (registration required).
3.🎶 La Casa Azul at the Wizink Center
One of Spain’s top indie-pop bands is back at the Wizink Center to kick off your Friday with tons of dancing, singing and drinking other fun stuff.
La Casa Azul is known for a style that mixes upbeat disco melodies and 90s Europop with melancholic lyrics, which creates a unique contrast and today you have a unique opportunity to enjoy this genre-defining band.
One of their biggest successes is La revolución sexual (2007, see video above), an album that ranked among the top 25 best-selling records in Spain during its release week. This was followed by albums La Nueva Yma Sumac (2009), La polinesia meridional (2011), and La Gran Esfera (2019).
If you are into Spanish TV shows on Netflix, it is very likely you have listened to their music as their catching songs make regular appearances on shows like Paquita Salas or Merlí. Get your tickets and prepare to be amazed.
La Casa Azul. Wizink Center, Avenida de Felipe II s/n, Madrid. Oct. 11, 9 p.m. Tickets start at €30.
4.🎨 Peggy Guggenheim’s selection of 31 female artists
Art lovers, rejoice! 31 Women: An Exhibition by Peggy Guggenheim is a fantastic exhibit featuring 31 female artists who were featured in Guggenheim’s groundbreaking 1943 exhibition at her New York gallery, Art of This Century.
This historic exhibition, which was held at a time when women artists were often marginalized, was a revolutionary platform that brought much-needed visibility to female creators in the world of modern art.
This exhibition in Madrid will allow audiences to experience the diverse range of works from pioneering women such as Frida Kahlo, Leonora Carrington, and Dorothea Tanning, whose artworks will be prominently displayed along with others who were considered “emerging talents” back in the 40s.
These women come from different movements, many of them connected to Surrealism and Abstraction, two of the most influential artistic movements of the 20th century.
But that’s not all! The exhibition will also shine a spotlight on Peggy Guggenheim’s critical role as a patron and advocate for avant-garde art. Her gallery, Art of This Century, became a hub for artistic innovation, allowing these women to become the icons the eventually were.
If there’s one thing you do this weekend, make it this one.
31 Women: An Exhibition by Peggy Guggenheim. Fundación Mapfre. Paseo de Recoletos, 23. Madrid. Through Jan. 5. Tickets: €5.
5.📖 Madrid’s 34th Autumn Fair of the Old and Ancient Book
Finally an option for those of you who love buying books, especially when it’s a copy from the 1700s that explains how to play checkers (at least that’s what someone says she found in the video above).
The Autumn Fair dedicated to old and antique books is back in downtown Madrid for its 34th edition. This is your chance to find a hidden treasure map and some rare first editions that will take you down an adventure path, like it happens in the movies.
Visitors have the chance to purchase books ranging from very affordable prices to rare bibliographic treasures. In total, over half a million antique books will be up for sale so get ready to do a lot of browsing.
The 2024 edition features 32 specialized bookstores from across Spain, showcasing a wide range of old books, first editions, original manuscripts, engravings, and rare or out-of-print editions.
Attendees will find a variety of offerings, with prices starting as low as €1. Each year, bookstores such as Librería Salambó, Librería del Prado, Librería Arenal 21, Librería El Asilo del Libro, Librería Hallazgo and Librería Anticuaria Toledo all participate in this amazing book fair.
34th Autumn Fair of the Old and Ancient Book. Paseo de Recolets s/n, Madrid. Through Oct. 13. 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Free admission.
👨🏻💻 Viral Stories of the Week
😭 Rafael Nadal retired and we are sad. But there were funny moments (and his English…)
🎉 Spanish bar in Germany says, “You don’t know how to party pueblo style? We’ll show you.”
🔔 A Message From Our Sponsor
Secret Kingdoms is your English bookstore in Madrid. It specializes in Spanish history and literature, contemporary and classic novels, books for children and young adults of all ages, history and historical fiction, thrillers, science fiction, fantasy, poetry, biographies and much more.
Located on Calle de Moratín 7 — a few blocks away from the Prado Museum — and with over 20,000 new and used books, Secret Kingdoms has something for everyone.
Find out more at www.thesecretkingdoms.com
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