Eleven not-to-be-missed foodie events in Malaga province this September

The first Saturday in September is a fixed date on the calendar for one of the most popular gastronomic events in Andalucía. The 56th edition of this fair, which was once held to improve connections with the coast. It will once again offer thousands of free glasses of ajoblanco, a recipe historically linked to this village in the Axarquia region. It is also an excellent time to taste and even buy muscatel grapes, as the harvest of this variety for consumption is also well under way.

Two weeks after the Noche del Vino (night of wine) was held in Cómpeta, this town on the western strip of the Costa del Sol in the province of Malaga is hosting another of the big grape harvest events on the first weekend of September. On Saturday afternoon the procession of the image of Nuestra Señora de los Dolores will take place, the highlight of which is the offering of grapes by the farmers. The following day, at the same time, the traditional symbolic treading of the grapes will take place, followed by the tasting of the first grape wine of the year.

Until a few years ago, this event was limited to a tasting of anchovies (fried and pickled) on the second Sunday in September. However, in recent years it has taken on a special dimension, to the point of becoming one of the highlights of Malaga's gastronomic agenda. As in previous years, there will be an extensive programme of activities such as showcookings, the 'Sabor a Málaga' food market, and, of course, anchovy tasting. The Rincón de la Victoria Boquerón Fiesta will be promoted by a wide range of chefs' groups and gastronomic organisations from the province of Malaga and Andalucía.

This festival does not have a set date on the calendar but coincides with the Noche de las Candelas. On the first Thursday of September, the symbolic treading of the grapes will be held in the ethnographic museum in Riogordo to recall the tradition of making wine at this time of year. This village, which is known above all for the production of verdial olives, has also been committed for years to remembering the traditions that have been lost in recent years.

On the Malaga foodie calendar, Manilva is succeeded by Mollina, a town in the Antequera region which has three prestigious wineries. For years, a fair has been held there with a tasting of local wines. There is also a parade with bicycles decorated with vine-related motifs. Another of the unique elements of this festival is that it is associated with literature, art and music, to the point of having had illustrious figures as town criers.

On the second Sunday in September, this village in the Axarquía, located on the 'raisin route' pays special tribute to the grape growers, those who work hard every harvest to gather the delicate and aromatic muscatel grape, either to consume it as fruit, dried in the sun and turned into raisins or to make excellent wines.

This year will not go down as one of the best table olive harvests in the province of Malaga. This is well known in Alozaina, the village that produces the largest quantity of the Aloreña variety in Malaga, which has its own protected designation of origin. But that does not mean that the olive fair is any less important, as it is an opportunity to taste the first dressed olives of the season. It is, without doubt, a fine tribute to this agricultural sector. This fiesta also has a religious aspect, as it is also linked to the Virgin of the Dulce Nombre de María. For this reason, it will last until Tuesday 12 September, the day on which her image will be carried in a procession through the streets of the village.

In the middle of the month, the 14th edition of the Fiesta de la Cabra Malagueña, which revolves around the products and agri-food culture related to this local goat breed, will be held. There will be the usual tapas route, a cheese market and various workshops. For three days, visitors will be able to taste dishes made with suckling goat meat and goat's cheese in different restaurants in the town. There will also be guided tours of Casabermeja's main monuments.

The third Sunday of September in El Borge is always a special festival, but this year it will be even more so. Not only because it is the first to be held since the pandemic, but also because it is celebrating its first quarter century of history. As usual, during the Sunday morning, some of the main tasks involved in producing this crop will be staged, as well as the production of raisins and wine. Other attractions for a visit to this village in the Axarquía are the tasting of different gastronomic dishes and the performances of "pandas de verdiales", folklore music and dance.

Autumn starts in a very different way in Torrox Costa, where it has become a tradition to celebrate its particular Oktoberfest. In this way, this popular town on the Axarquia coast is impregnated with German culture, like the hundreds of residents who are registered there today. Neither the traditional music of this European country nor its flavours will be missing: beer as well as the famous sausages and other products. All this during a long weekend in which there will be both national and foreign audiences on the promenade of this town.

The last Sunday in September is reserved for a foodie festival that is coming of age this year in the village of Almogía. A festival is held that vindicates the importance of almond tree cultivation, which forms part of the agricultural wealth of this municipality and also of its landscape (especially in winter with the blossom). There will be tastings of products or dishes with almonds as the main ingredients, as well as a great festive atmosphere. There will be no shortage of 'verdiales' performances in this village, which gives its name to one of the three recognised styles of this local Malaga folklore music and dance.