San Pedro Alcántara Fair and Festivities

San Pedro Alcántara is a town within the municipality of Marbella, with its own deputy mayor's office, and every October it holds its patron saint festivities in honour of San Pedro de Alcántara, the Franciscan friar born in Alcántara who gives the town its name. The saint's hymn recalls that the town was founded by the Marquis of Duero, among fields of wheat and sugar cane, on the Mediterranean shore.

The fair grew out of the religious celebration: on 19 October, the patron saint's day, there is a solemn mass at the San Pedro de Alcántara parish church and a procession of the saint through the town's streets, organised with the Hermandad del Santo Patrón. The days before are fair days, with music, horses, activities for children and the elderly, and concerts.

It is organised by Marbella Town Council and the Festivities Department of the San Pedro Alcántara deputy mayor's office, and it takes place at La Caridad fairground. Part of the tradition is the election and crowning of the festivities' queens, king, maids of honour, Miss Simpatía and Miss San Pedro Alcántara.

The fair takes place at La Caridad fairground, on the estate of the same name, with the marquees, the «Mi Hogar» marquee of the senior centres, the rides area, the Palenque Municipal and the fairground auditorium, where the main artists perform.

Religious and traditional events take place in the town centre: Plaza de la Iglesia, opposite the San Pedro de Alcántara parish church, hosts the flower offering and the patron saint's mass, and the parade of giants and big-heads and the 19 October procession go through the town-centre streets.

Every year the Festivities Department runs free shuttle buses to La Caridad fairground. In 2026 there were three routes: two from different points in San Pedro Alcántara and one from Marbella, departing next to Farmacia Berdaguer.

The fair begins in the town: dance schools in Plaza de la Iglesia, a parade of giants and big-heads with the Ramón Mayén band and a flower offering at the feet of the patron saint's image. That night the fairground lights are switched on with fireworks and, at the Palenque, the opening speech is read and the queens and maids of honour of the festivities are crowned.

During the week there are horse rides around the fairground, with prior registration, equestrian contests, Children's Day with rides at reduced prices, Seniors' Day with a lunch for members of the senior centres, dance contests at the seniors' marquee and a day for dressing up in flamenco attire.

On 19 October the solemn mass in honour of the patron saint is held, followed by the procession of San Pedro de Alcántara through the town-centre streets, with the Ramón Mayén band. That day there is also a horse-harnessing contest, and the fair says goodbye with a children's party.