Aplec Sardanista “Capital of Cava”

When spring triumphs over the last winter mists and the vines begin to produce the first green, Sant Sadurní is filled with music and rolls: it is the Sardanista Aplec “Capital of Cava”. For decades — locals remember editions as early as the 1960s — the last Sunday in April has been synonymous with sardines, cava and brotherhood.

The activity was born promoted by the Fomento Sardanista Sant Sadurní, an entity that works all year round to keep the national dance alive. The program starts at eleven in the morning with a first dance in the Parc de la Rambla, performed by prestigious groups such as La Marinada, the Jovenívola de Sabadell or the Sant Jordi. In between, the organization offers a popular risada (with places reserved for groups from outside) and, of course, toasts with cava from the town, which refreshes the dance and reinforces the nickname “Capital of Cava”.

At four in the afternoon they resume the rolls with a second audition, often dedicated to composers from Penedès or premieres of neo-Sardinian dance. Local bands take the opportunity to show off the technique and, above all, to teach the basic steps to the visitors who dare to do it. Admission to all activities is free, which makes the day an open and intergenerational party.

Over the years, the APLEC has been incorporating complementary elements: specialized discography stands, cava drawing competitions, children's timpani workshops and, since 2023, an exhibition of leading artists that covers the square with colorful works. Despite these additions, the essence remains intact: live music, rolls on the asphalt and that inevitable photograph of about two hundred couples holding hands, spinning to the beat of a land that dances and toasts at the same time.

Last Sunday in April (morning and afternoon dances)
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