Once a year
Different fiestas are held in and around Bilbao throughout the year. In December, in addition to Christmas and the Olentzero (Basque version of Santa Claus as a charcoal burner), Bilbao celebrates Santo Tomás, a street party with farm produce stalls; the staple food of the day is corn bread and chorizo. In February, Santa Agueda is honoured by multitude of choirs roaming the streets with battons to mark the beat. Carnival is also an important date in our calendar. Most fiestas in Bizkaia are held during the Summer. Specifically in Bilbao, the third week of August is the time of "Semana Grande" or "Aste Nagusia", with plenty of concerts, amazing fireworks displays every night, parades, and one of the most important bullfighting festivals in Spain.