The CIFP Compostela hosted the presentation of the program for the 42nd Filloa Festival of Lestedo this morning, with its main event taking place on March 9. The Mayor of Boqueixón, Ovidio Rodeiro, and the President of the Cultural Association of the Filloa, José Manuel Canabal, presided over the event, accompanied by Carmen Pita, Director of Promotion at the Galician Tourism Agency; Ramiro Esparís, Director of CIFP Compostela; and actress and presenter María Mera.
The Mayor of Boqueixón highlighted the hard work of the members of the Cultural Association of the Filloa, municipal staff, sponsoring organizations, and companies in achieving the designation of National Tourist Interest Festival for the Filloa—the third such recognition in the province of A Coruña. He gave special thanks to the residents of Lestedo, describing them as “hardworking, welcoming people united around a festival that started as a local parish event and is now known throughout Spain.”
He also assured that “no one should think we are slowing down… This will be one of the editions with the most pre-festival activities.” In this regard, he highlighted the twinning between the Filloa Festival and the Lalín Cocido Fair, formalized last Saturday. “We have gained an older sibling: none other than the first gastronomic festival to be recognized as an International Tourist Interest Festival. A true model to follow and learn from,” said Ovidio Rodeiro, who also noted, “That is why this year the Lalín Cocido will be a major highlight of the Filloa Festival, just as the Filloa will take center stage in the capital of Deza.”
José Manuel Canabal echoed the mayor’s gratitude, emphasizing that this recognition “is a tribute to the dedication and effort of the residents of Lestedo, of our parents and grandparents, who made filloas with sparks in their homes and can now see their festival declared of National Tourist Interest.”
Regarding the Filloa Festival’s main event, Canabal recommended that visitors try “two specialities: filloas stuffed with Celtic pork and Filloa de Cocido, a result of our twinning with the Lalín Fair.” He also confirmed that the eighth edition of the Grand Intermunicipal Parade of the Generals of Ulla will feature over fifty generals, and that “the filloa-making machines will start working at 8:00 AM, capable of producing nearly 2,000 filloas per hour. Alongside them, traditional filloa makers will be preparing all kinds of recipes: stone-baked filloas, stuffed filloas, sweet versions, and more.”
Parallel Programming
Starting today, several weeks of intense promotion for the Filloa Festival will begin, taking the event outside the province of A Coruña for the first time. Last Saturday, one of the scheduled activities took place as part of the twinning with the Lalín Cocido Fair, featuring a tasting of Lestedo filloas and a live cooking demonstration by chef José Manuel Mallón at the 4th International Beekeeping Fair of Lalín.
On Sunday, February 23, a group of Generals of Ulla will travel to Lalín to participate in a parade and a traditional “Atranque” during the 57th Lalín Cocido Fair.
The traditional “Filloa Gastronomic Days at El Corte Inglés” will take place on February 28 and March 1, 3, and 4, offering free filloa tastings with every purchase from 1:00 PM to 4:30 PM.
On Saturday, March 1, the third edition of the “Filloíña Festival” will begin at 4:30 PM in the Lestedo fairgrounds, featuring performances by Os Campiños de Sarandón, As Travesas de Codeso, Pena Maior de Marrozos, Lucerniñas, and Solleirada. At 6:00 PM, a children’s proclamation will be delivered by students from CPI de Vedra, followed by the Atranques de Generalitos del Ulla and a children’s costume contest. The night will close with a grand concert by Uxía Lambona e a Banda Molona at 8:30 PM.
The following day, Sunday, March 2, at 12:00 PM, the first of five scheduled showcookings will take place at the Filloa Cooking space in the Lestedo Social Center. This session, “Orixes Galegas”, will be led by chef Alberto Lareo from Maina Restaurant (Santiago) and is organized by the brands Celtaporc and Celtagal to promote the consumption of Celtic pork products.
The second session, focused on the Cocido de Lalín, will be led by chef Álex Iglesias from Cabanas Restaurant and will showcase ways to repurpose leftovers into creative dishes using Lestedo filloas. This session will take place on Monday, March 3, at 7:00 PM.
On Wednesday, March 5, at 5:00 PM, the Filloa School will offer a special session for children aged 10 to 16, with chef Xosé Manuel Mallón teaching them about the culinary values of Lestedo’s filloa.
On Thursday, March 6, a new edition of “Filloa Accesible” will be held, making the festival more inclusive. This year’s guest group will be members of AFEXDI Santiago, an association for the training and employment of people with intellectual disabilities. Chef José Manuel Mallón will lead the session at 11:00 AM.
Later that evening, at 7:00 PM, Mallón will team up with chef Roberto Filgueiras (Grupo Nove, O Balado Restaurant) for another edition of “Lestedo Sin Gluten”, catering to celiac individuals. This event is once again organized in collaboration with ACEGA due to high demand.
On Saturday, March 8, the third edition of “Filloa Folk” will take place, featuring performances by Parranda de Carnaval (6:00 PM), Luz do Ilicinio (7:30 PM), Os Melidaos (8:30 PM), and Ailá (8:00 PM).
Additionally, throughout February, the fifth edition of the “Filloarte Photography Contest” will be open for entries. Participants may submit up to two photos of filloa-making processes, plated presentations, or creative interpretations of the filloa. The only restriction is that no identifiable people may appear in the images. Entries should be sent to festadafilloadelestedo@gmail.com, and the contest rules can be found at www.festadafilloadelestedo.gal.
Piñata Sunday
Finally, on Sunday, March 9, the 42nd Filloa Festival will kick off at 8:00 AM with the firing up of the filloa-making machines, capable of producing around 2,000 filloas per hour.
At 11:00 AM, musical groups from the Cultural Association Maestro Manuel Gacio will perform.
At 12:00 PM, the 8th Grand Intermunicipal Parade of the Generals of Ulla will take place, featuring generals from A Estrada, Santiago, Silleda, Teo, Touro, Vedra, Vila de Cruces, and, of course, Boqueixón. Upon reaching the festival grounds at 1:00 PM, journalist Isabel Pichel will deliver the official proclamation. She is a resident of Pazos (Lestedo) and director of the “Galicia por Delante Fin de Semana” news program on Radio Galega. Honorary aprons for 2025 will also be awarded. Actress María Mera will present the event.
At 1:45 PM, the Grand Halt of the Generals of Ulla will take place, featuring humorous and satirical rhymed verses on politics and current events.
The afternoon will feature a grand popular open-air dance with performances by Grupo Origen and the orchestra París de Noia.
