Saffron Rose Festival

Since 1963, Consuegra has celebrated the Saffron Rose Festival (Fiesta de la Rosa del Azafrán) in October, of Regional Tourist Interest, at the height of the flower-picking season. The 2026 edition, the 64th, ran from 17 to 25 October according to the town hall's programme, with the big events concentrated in the last weekend, from Friday 23 to Sunday 25. The regular events are the husking contests, in which the stigmas of the rose are separated by hand, the gastronomy competition, the Molienda de la Paz at the windmills, the National Folklore Festival and the Tierra de Azafrán routes.

What the festival is like

The festival begins on the preceding Saturday with the proclamation of the year's Dulcinea and the speech in praise of La Mancha at the Don Quijote Theatre Auditorium; in 2026 admission was €2 and had to be collected beforehand on the Giglon platform. On Sunday, the opening rocket from the town hall balcony starts the festivities in the Plaza de España and the bands parade along Calle del Arco.

On the Friday of the last weekend the local husking contests are held, for children and adults, in the former convent of the Franciscan Fathers, and the agri-food fair opens in a marquee on Paseo Ramón y Cajal, open until Sunday. Watching the husking women separate the three red stigmas of each flower with their fingers is the most characteristic part of the festival.

Saturday at the windmills

Saturday is the big day on Calderico hill. In 2026, at 17:00, the 61st Molienda de la Paz was held at the Rucio windmill, dedicated to Consuegra Medieval, with the handing out of commemorative little sacks of flour; at 17:30 a folklore showcase followed beside the windmill with groups from Reinosa, Ibi, Palma and the local group Rosa del Azafrán. The same day there is a provincial husking contest in the afternoon, a gastronomy competition in the morning on Paseo Ortega y Munilla and a tractor skill contest.

Sunday

Sunday begins with the flower-decked reveille of the municipal band. Mid-morning the finals of the children's contest and the national adult husking contest are held in the Plaza de España, and at 12:30 the National Folklore Festival, which in 2026 reached its 64th edition, fills the square with dances.

Practical tips

On those days the windmill road is closed to traffic: walk up from the village and wear comfortable shoes. The guided "Tierra de Azafrán" routes, through the saffron fields, the windmills, the castle and the square, are booked by WhatsApp on 627 905 216 or at [email protected]. Book accommodation in good time; the Hotel Consuegra and the La Vida de Antes rural hotel are in the village.

Outside the festival you can see the windmills on Calderico hill and La Muela castle all year. In August, from 14 to 16 in 2026, the other big festival is Consuegra Medieval, which re-enacts the battle of 1097.