El VinartFest 2025 starts this Friday as a cultural meeting point, linked to wine tourism and the rural world.
The VinartFest 2025 Festival arrives this weekend in the hamlet of Las ventas de Alcolea, after the break in 2024, with numerous cultural and artistic activities, linked to wine culture and the enhancement of the rural space and world.
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Vinarfest emerged as a result of the initiative of the Cultural Association of Las ventas de Alcolea, creating a Festival that aims to highlight the cultural richness of the wine universe and also culturally revitalize a rural area that reflects what is known as the «emptied Spain.»
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This Festival was born and Llanos Ortiz, on behalf of the Sales Association of Alcolea, states that they face this year with «great enthusiasm,» in its fifth edition, finalizing the last preparations to welcome all visitors who will fill this emblematic hamlet of Villarrobledo this weekend.
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The councilor of culture, Juan José Calero, traveled to Las ventas de Alcolea, alongside Llanos Ortiz, to present the scheduled activities within the Festival, invite everyone to participate, and check the work being done by the municipal services of the City Council to condition, clean, and prepare the surroundings, the hermitage, and the winery where the Vinartfest events take place.
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Calero highlights the effort of the Association to recover and consolidate this cultural event, which values our rural spaces and our wines, accompanied by various cultural and artistic expressions. An atypical festival, more intimate, unlike the big festivals, in which the institution collaborates in what the association requests and to which the councilor invites all citizens to visit and participate in all its activities, in an environment he describes as «exceptional.»
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For her part, Llanos Ortiz explains that the inauguration will be on Friday, May 23, at 7 pm at the Casa de la Cultura de Villarrobledo, with free admission, taking the opportunity to present the awards of the short film, micro-story, and photography contests held within the Vinartfest and of international scope.
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She adds that around the Festival, some local establishments have prepared special activities, such as a pairing dinner at the Azafrán Restaurant, visits to wineries, and also extending the hours of the Tinajera Pottery Interpretation Center since many festival visitors come from outside the city.
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The core of the activities will be on Saturday the 24th in Las ventas de Alcolea, opening the Festival’s doors around noon. During the day, there will be commented tastings by the 7 local wineries participating in the VinartFest.
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There will also be, in the hermitage, screenings of the winning and finalist short films and an exhibition of photographs from this contest at the winery facilities, also featuring storytelling by Pep Bruno.
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The day will be livened up with live music by Doña Manteca and DJs Uno en Dos.
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For Llanos Ortiz, the Vinartfest is more than a Festival, she says, «a cry for help» to prevent the abandonment of rural areas by both the population and the authorities. With this event, they aim to give visibility to this environment with activities centered around rural life and wine tourism.
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There are still tickets available to participate in the Vinartfest 2025 and they can be purchased on the festival’s website: