Thursday was marked by rain, which led to the cancellation of the traditional Band Parade and the subsequent performance of the anthem ‘Chimo’ in the Plaça Major. Organizers attempted to find alternatives, but meteorological instability made it impossible to hold these events, which this year carried special symbolic weight due to the tribute to composer José María Ferrero Pastor on the centenary of his birth.
The mayor of Ontinyent, Jorge Rodríguez, has expressed the intention to find a new date to hold the tribute to Ferrero Pastor with the solemnity it deserves. The composer's daughter, Pilar Ferrero, was scheduled to lead the event.
Festivities resumed on Friday with the Alardos, a unique parade that trades spectacularity for ingenuity and humor. The comparsas (groups) replaced their formal attire with collective costumes parodying current events and recognizable characters, in a competition for the most original idea. The event began at 11:30 PM and paraded along Avingudes de l'Almaig and Daniel Gil to Plaça de la Concepció.
On Friday at 11 AM, the youngest participants took center stage with the Children's Parade. Children paraded along Avinguda Daniel Gil, Plaça de la Concepció, and the streets Gomis and Maians, replicating the atmosphere of the main parades on a smaller scale.
Friday afternoon will be dedicated to the main parades. At 6 PM, the Christian Faction Parade will commence, led this year by the Estudiants comparsa as Christian captain. At 10 PM, it will be the turn of the spectacular Moorish Parade, with Moros Marinos at the forefront as the captain comparsa. Both parades will proceed along Avingudes de l'Almaig and Daniel Gil to the Glorieta dels Moros i Cristians. The day will conclude with the orchestra Mónaco at 1 AM.
