Dia del Residente – Day of the Resident – has become a permanent fixture on the celebrations calendar for Nerja and generally takes place on a Sunday in March or April.
The whole concept was the brainchild of the late Bryn Davies, a highly respected figure in the local community, and I’m sure he would be proud to see that his work has been carried on and that the event has grown in stature over the years.
It all began back in 2000 with a marquee tent on the Balcón de Europa.
Back in those early days, in a marquee tent on the Balcón de Europa, participants would set up their stalls, literally, and pack them with all sorts of freebies, including food and drink. It was all very experimental and basically non-commercial in those days.
Dia del Residente then moved to the Parque Verano Azul, a much larger site, but with a few changes. There was still the marquee tent, but the stalls themselves gradually stopped the practice of individually providing free food and drink as organised food and drink stalls took over.
In 2008 the Dia del Residente to a new site, a brand new site in fact, Plaza Paseo Nuevo, a square built on top of the underground car park close to the Balcón de Europa. The square has since had a change of name and is now the Plaza de España.
It’s basically a fun day with music, dancing and other entertainment laid on and a host of local clubs, organisations and associations publicising their activities.
