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The holiday calendar of Ribadesella has suffered ups and downs throughout the century, a result of social changes. Some celebrations like Corpus Christi or Our Lady of Rosario, which are held in October like the sailors` thanksgiving day, have declined considerably, while others that are held in full summer like Guía or Santa Marina, continue to be vigorously celebrated. Other celebrations have had different luck, like Carnival, which declined and then regained importance, or San Juan, whose location and events have changed completely. And there are others like San Miguel and the famous "PIROGUES" OR THE SELLA INTERNATIONAL RACE Pirogues that are distinct products of this current century. In the villages of the county practically all of the traditional celebrations have been maintained, spread out over the entire year, and although they do not have the power that they once did in village life, they continue to be enthusiastically celebrated by our people. FEBRUARY: CARNAVAL OR ANTROXU
HOLY WEEK
JUNE : SAN JUAN The night of San Juan, the 24th of June, has a special flavour in Asturias, with homages to the water, fountain decorating, dancing around the bonfire, and storytelling about woodland spirits. This celebration was formerly held in the neighbourhood of Portiellu, around a fountain that still exists, although today this has been replaced by an entertaining night of barbecues and paellas in San Juan field, between the river mouth and the light of a monumental bonfire. JULY: OUR LADY OF GRACE
AUGUST: SANTA MARINA
THE CHEESE FESTIVAL
SEPTEMBER: SAN MIGUEL
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In the twenties and during the Republic,
Carnival in this village was famous in all of Asturias.
Masquerade balls were held in three dance halls at the same time
and the village streets were lined with foreign cars. After the
prohibition of Carnival in the post-war period, the arrival of
democracy again allowed the populace to demonstrate their
enthusiasm for disguises. The center of the celebrations is today
located in a giant tent installed by the town-hall in the Plaza
Nueva, where the dances and contests are held, even though the
"antroxos"(costumed) spill out into the bars and other
public houses of the village. The Asturian word
"antroxu" comes from the Latin "introitum",
referring to the arrival of Lent and means "Carnival". 
Although there now exists a continuity of
Holy Week gatherings and processions dating back to the
beginnings of the 19th century, there was a time when they were
not held for more than fifty years. Today, however, they have
been reinstituted and the three gatherings with religious imagery
are once again guided through the village streets. The most
emotional moment tends to be the night march along the jetty,
illuminated by wind-blown torches that reflect off of the river
waters. As much as the secular celebration stands out on Good
Friday, the horse racing and regional carriages on the Santa
Marina beach also proves to be a wonderful experience for the
many visitors who are received by the village during these
holidays. 
Even though the village patron is the
Magdalena, the Virgin of Grace, patron of sailors, plays a more
important role. It is organised in July by the Brothehood of
Fishermen. The nine preceeding days are celebrated at the
hermitage of Guia and on the eve of the ninth the fishermen lower
the statue of the Virgin down the Corveru hillside in the midst
of sky-rockets, bells, and howling sirens. The next day follows
the maritime procession, evoking ancient oceanic rites. An
authentically Ribadesellian folkloric group of maritime origin,
the Danza de Arcos, joins the fishermen . 
Putting aside the Pirogues festival for a
moment, which deserves a separate chapter to itself, in August
one must remember the festival of Santa Marina which was formerly
held in its chapel on the beach where they attended in boats. In
the beginning of the 20th Century this celebration was
reintroduced by the summer residents and today, with the chapel
now gone, it is celebrated similarly to the festivals of the
Guía, with maritime processions accompanied by folkloric groups
and fishing smacks. 
The fiesta of San Lorenzo takes place in
the middle of August in the village of Cuerres, testimony to that
which once was the most important festival in the entire region,
and the Cheese Festival, which is attended by the main artisan
cheese makers in the eastern part of Asturias, a district that is
considered to be the "best cheese spot of Europe". It
is an excellent time to enjoy the cheeses from Cabrales,
Gamonedo, Beyos, Pría, Porrúa, and Vidiago, besides others of
the region like those from Casín, Genestoso, or Afuega el Pitu. 
This extremely popular festival was
created in 1968 in the working-class neighbourhood of Cobayu and
in no time at all it has established itself as one of the most
successful in the county. As points of interest it has an indoor
soccer tournament, night canoeing on the Sella, a church service,
a dancing competition, and a typical Asturian cider festival
based on sidra, hard-boiled eggs, and other foods. 
