We’re making our way through our fifth Fallas season* in Valencia, and I still struggle to figure out the best way to get my arms around it all to be able to present it to you. While I’m getting my strategy ready, I’ll share some photographs of preparations by some folks who are right in the thick of it all.

Every year in the city at least 350 neighborhood groups build or commission Fallas† sculptures that must be in place (in their designated street or intersection) by the end of March 15th, the day of the Plantá. Each neighborhood has a Casal Faller (clubhouse of the fallas group), but that doesn’t seem to be where fallas are built. At various of these Casal Fallers we’ve seen dance lessons happening, watched bands gathering, smelled paella cooking, heard a LOT of noise emanating, but haven’t seen construction progressing.

Last week we took…