It would seem that Pamplona is not the only place where the fiestas of Sanfermin are celebrated. Homages are paid in many other cities to the Sanfermin fiestas, organized by people who feel a strong connection with Sanfermin. One example of this is found in Bilbao, where, at 12.00 midday on the 6th of July, (this year on a Sunday) a rocket will be set off from the balconies of the Hogar Navarro (Navarra club) in Bilbao, in imitation of the Txupinazo opening rocket set off from Pamplona’s City Hall balconies. As well as the Txupinazo, on the 7th of July, at 11:30 a.m. there is a special mass celebrated in the church of San Nicolás de El Arenal in Bilbao with a choir of joteros under the name “Alegría de la Ribera”, and this is followed by a street parade with a brass band under the name “Sama Siku”.
At some distance away, in Nueva Orleans, there is a “Running of the Bulls” held on the 7th of July in commemoration of San Fermin Fiestas where some of the local people feel that they are implicated in the fiestas, ever since 2007. Since that year they have always organized a “Running of the Bulls” in which they make use of a metal bull and around a thousand runners run in front of it as they take part dressed up in their red and white gear. The finishing line is at the banks of the mighty Mississippi. It would indeed by an interesting experience to join them some year and to celebrate our fiestas on the other side of the “pond”.