More than 2,500 eggs and up to 900 free tapas will be handed out at the IV Festa dos Ovos Rotos con Chourizo in Castro de Rei. The event brings together local food, classic Vespas, live music, and traditional crafts, drawing crowds from across Lugo.
By midday this Saturday, Ribeiras do Lea will be crowded with visitors holding plates of broken eggs and chorizo—free for anyone who shows up. The IV Festa dos Ovos Rotos con Chourizo e Feira de Artesanía plans to serve between 800 and 900 free tapas, using over 2,500 eggs in a single day. For a rural parish in Castro de Rei, these numbers show how a local tradition has grown into a regional draw for food lovers and families.
The main event starts at 13:00, when two egg-and-chorizo recipes are cooked live and handed out to the crowd. All ingredients come from local producers, and the festival is backed by Agacal, keeping the focus on regional food and authenticity.
The festival was included by La Voz de Galicia in its official September events guide as one of the most notable happenings in Lugo province.
But there’s more than food on offer. The day begins at 11:00 with a Vespa ride through the village, followed by a parade, live demonstrations of crafts like blacksmithing, woodturning, clog-making, and basketry, plus a busy artisan market. By noon, classic Vespas are on display, and musicians and street performers keep the crowd lively. The official opening is at 12:30, but the real action starts when the smell of frying eggs and chorizo fills the air.
Anyone hoping to join the Gran Xantar Popular, the communal lunch at 14:45, needed to plan ahead. Tickets—23 euros for adults and 15 euros for children aged 3 to 15—sold out before the September 9 deadline. The menu is straightforward Galician: meat empanada, huevos rotos with chorizo, potatoes, pancetta, peppers, dessert, and coffee. No tickets are sold at the door, which has disappointed some latecomers but helps organizers keep things manageable.
According to El Progreso, the festival is organized by the local residents' association, whose president Óscar Díaz emphasized that the goal is to highlight rural life and the tradition of the dish, promoting local identity through gastronomy and crafts. The event also receives support from the Xunta de Galicia and Agacal, and all tickets for the communal lunch were sold exclusively in advance, with none available on the day of the event.
The afternoon keeps moving with a vermouth session at 13:30, performances by Dúo Belinda and Os Támega, and traditional games for all ages. The day ends at 20:00 with prizes and a final round of music, packing more into one Saturday than many towns see in a month.
The festival is run by the Asociación de Vecinos de Ribeiras do Lea, with support from the Concello de Castro de Rei, Xunta de Galicia, and Agacal. Last year, about 800 plates were served. This year, with more food and a bigger program, organizers hope to make the event a regular highlight on Lugo’s calendar.
What makes this festival stand out is its focus on tradition, not just size. Local produce, hands-on crafts, and a strong sense of community are at the center. As the crowds and the number of eggs keep growing, organizers are working to keep the event authentic while meeting demand. For now, Ribeiras do Lea seems to have found the balance—offering a festival that celebrates Galician identity and shows how rural communities can adapt without losing what makes them unique.
