Alaquàs will host the VIII Festa de la Carxofa in an edition that will focus especially on the impact of the dana in l'Horta Sud Under the slogan “Més poble que mai”, this coming weekend ‘s edition will focus on the resilience and future of l’Horta Sud an area severely affected by the dana of October 29th L’Associació d’Amics i Amigues del Cant de la Carxofa Comerciants Associats d’Alaquàs (CAdA) and l’Associació d’Hostaleria i Restauració d’Alaquàs (AHORA) will organize this 2025 an event focused on gastronomic gatherings cultural performances and solidarity activities tastings and festivities around the world of gastronomy and on Thursday 6 the event will kick off with a gastronomic discussion on the role of gastronomy as a cultural link with the participation of chef Óscar Torrijos Paco Alonso (gastronomic journalist) and Chabe Soler (chef of the Villa Indiano restaurant) the Claustro del Castell will celebrate a cultural evening with magic poetry and music by local artists and the awards of the Passaport Carxofa the rice with carxofa contest will take place in the Plaza de la Constitución where five local associations will compete before a professional jury composed of renowned experts such as Pablo Margós executive chef of Grupo Gastro Trinquet and Bairetas restaurant; Toni Carceller former MasterChef contestant and communications director of Grupo Los Gómez; Almudena Ortuño gastronomic influencer specializing in rice dishes The day will include craft and commercial fairs as well as a traditional meat and artichoke torrà organized by La Cuarta Torre The night will close with a concert by DJ Xema and Poleo with activities starting at 10 am: there will be an artichoke tapas contest in the Plaza de la Constitución with the participation of local restaurants such as La Sequieta La Cuina de Gemma and Las Viandas de Larosa along with special guests such as Taberna Gourmet La Casota (Paiporta) in a gesture of solidarity towards the municipalities affected by the DANA artichoke flower confit with olive oil at low temperature truffle oil and Iberian ham powder; artichoke hummus with white beans; steamed artichoke on romescu; or artichoke figatell This year’s jury will be made up of gastronomy referents such as Raúl Resino Michelin-starred chef of the Raúl Resino restaurant in Benicarló; David Joaquín chef of the Farigola i Menta restaurant in Torrent; Carla Centelles gastronomic journalist of Guía Hedonista; Javier Atencia member of the Associació Gastronòmica El Cullerot d’Alaquàs; and Elvira García more than 3,500 people visited this event during the weekend according to figures from the organization A number that is expected to be exceeded in this edition Alaquàs will host again this gastronomic festival of l'Horta Sud with Valencian proposals and in support of the populations affected by the dana From April 11 to 13, 2025 8 restaurants in Valencia will bring their own burger recipe For this edition the festival has confirmed the presence of A To Trapo 2.0 (Paiporta) the Horta Burger Fest will focus on the recovery of the towns affected by the dana last October In addition to the proposals of each restaurant there will be gluten-free and vegetarian alternatives The fried legs will come from the hand of the best potatoes from McCain the beer will be from Estrella Galicia and for dessert will be served gluten-free cheesecakes from Como un Queso and donuts from El Sr de las Donas All accompanied by the best music and an incomparable festive atmosphere the children’s menu will include burger and chips to get energy before burning it in the play area equipped with inflatables Admission to the festival will be free of charge Payment will be made at each of the food trucks according to the amount consumed The schedule of Horta Burger Fest 2025 is Friday from 19 to 02:00 hours; Saturday 12 from 12 to 02:00 hours; and a last session on Sunday this year has enabled the option of ordering with Glovo at each of the stands the application will offer home delivery service for each of the participating burgers FREEPORT — Nearly two weeks have passed since Hurricane Milton made landfall Alaqua Animal Refuge is asking members of Northwest Florida to help The refuge took in an influx of animals displaced by the storm It has received help from national and organizations but still needs assistance the shelter served as a designated emergency shelter and acted swiftly to meet the needs of displaced animals and medical supplies within a three-hour radius to ensure every animal coming to the shelter received the needed care The refuge received emergency grants and supplies with the help of national and local organizations due to the sheer volume of animals received resources have been put under enormous strain animals are housed in two large emergency arenas with many suffering from severe health conditions “We’re incredibly grateful for the national support we’ve received but the reality is we still need significant help from our community,” said Laurie Hood and adopters willing to take in these special animals.” volunteering or fostering and adopting animals in need and while we’ve made strides in stabilizing them we need the community’s support to continue their care and find them forever homes,” Hood added For further information on how you can help animals in need, visit www.alaqua.org or contact the refuge by phone at 850-880-6399 UST Singers Founder and Conservatory of Music academic staff member Asst delivered guest lectures and joined as an international jury member in choral festivals in Spain and Taiwan Calalang facilitated a lecture on “Banal: Philippine Sacred Choral Music in the Concert Repertoire.” This special lecture was part of a series hosted by the 2023 Taipei International Choir Festival and Competition in collaboration with the National Taipei University of Education in Da’an District He was also invited as a guest speaker on “Conducting Experiences and Conducting the UST Singers” at the 5th Annual Conducting Workshop organized by the Unió Musical D’ Alaquàs held at the Alaquàs Conservatory of Music in Alaquàs At the 32nd Certamen Habaneras y Polifonia Totana Calanang served as jury member at the Auditorio Municipal Marcos Ortiz in Murcia which specializes in the singing of the traditional song form “habaneras,” featured various choral groups from the different regions of Spain Calalang has led the University of Santo Tomas Singers through its 36th International Goodwill Concert Tour titled “30th Encore: Harmony through Time,” the UST Singers’ 30th-anniversary tour The choir’s latest international sojourn saw them traveling in Germany The tour lasted six weeks with 22 standing ovation concerts held in different cities in Europe and Taiwan The University of Santo Tomas is one of the leading private research universities in the Philippines and is consistently ranked among the top 1000 universities in the whole world With academic degrees and research thrusts in the natural the University continuously strives to make a positive impact on the society Alaqua Animal Refuge commemorates grand opening of new facity with month-long eventsThe Destin Log Alaqua Animal Refuge will have a formal opening of their new located at 155 Dugas Way in Freeport and invites the community to celebrate the occasion with a month-long celebration of events titled As the Southeast’s premier 501(c)3 refuge and sanctuary and homeless animal deserves a second chance Originally located on 10 acres in Freeport the new 100-acre facility will allow Alaqua to continue to do the important work of animal rescue and rehabilitation as well as be an educational and training center for animal welfare advocates as a place that will inspire and educate others to make change in society and recreate the model worldwide “We are so happy to finally be in our permanent home,” said Alaqua founder Laurie Hood “We have welcomed the animals to their new sanctuary and now we want to welcome our community to come see what their love and support throughout the years has built we invite everyone to come ‘Celebrate Alaqua’ and honor this momentous move for our organization.”   Alaqua will host a featured event every Saturday kicking off with the highly anticipated 7th Annual 100 Point and Cult Wine Dinner on March 4 exclusive evening will offer guests a one-of-a-kind experience as they will be the first to dine in Alaqua’s permanent home Guests will also enjoy a private concert with musical guest performances as well as a silent and live auction the community is invited to the new facility for the Inaugural Alaqua Wellness Festival from 10 a.m which will become an annual event at the new facility The day will conclude with a ceremonial bonfire Alaqua will officially open its doors to the public once again on March 14 for visits and will be open daily Tuesday through Sunday each week from 11 a.m Alaqua will host their first Adoption Event Volunteer Drive and Fun Run/Walk at the new facility on March 18 from 10 a.m and learn more about adopting one of Alaqua’s available animals Their volunteer team will also be available to answer questions and sign up those interested in becoming volunteers themselves and tours of the grounds and nature trails throughout the afternoon The month of celebrations will conclude with a Wild and Free Festival on March 25 from 10 a.m This event will highlight Alaqua’s Wildlife Rehabilitation Center providing a much-needed resource for rescue and orphaned native Florida wildlife across an 11-county area The festival will kick off with a “baby shower” to raise awareness and gather supplies for the upcoming “baby” season where the refuge takes in hundreds of orphaned wildlife patients Alaqua’s new wildlife rescue ambulance will be onsite for tours and will be filled with animal ambassadors There will also be kid’s activities including a wildlife scavenger hunt Each of these events will highlight a different area of Alaqua’s new home while simultaneously honoring Alaqua’s overall mission and vision for animals within the community and across the state of Florida and beyond The organization invites the community to ‘Celebrate Alaqua’ every Saturday in the month of March by coming out to support and learn about everything they are doing to treat There are multiple sponsorship opportunities available for “Celebrate Alaqua” and those interested should email sponsorships@Alaqua.org to learn more “Everything that was once around me used to be a dream “We couldn’t have done this without all the support within our community and across the state and supporters are the ones who made this happen and are the ones who are going to be making a difference in animals’ lives for years to come.”     With the exception of the 100 Point and Cult Wine Dinner all of the weekend events are open to the public and free to attend donations are appreciated at the entrance to support Alaqua's mission The bodies of two children who went missing in the Valencian town of Torrent during the devastating 'Dana' floods have been found this Wednesday 13 November eight kilometres from where they disappeared The boys' relatives confirmed the tragic news in a message posted to social media: "This nightmare of 15 days of madness is over Thank you to all the volunteers from all over Spain We are speechless for all the help we have received these days We will be grateful for the rest of our lives," they wrote Torrent had turned its attention to searching for the two boys after they were swept away by flood waters from their house on 29 October in the Masía del Juez area the town hall launched a search operation where between 40 and 60 people including Local Police officers firefighters and volunteers had been working tirelessly to locate them A Local Police drone did not stop searching the whole area machinery was used to remove the mud from around the house in case they might have been buried underneath the last time she saw her grandchildren was at home their father picked them up as it was expected to rain a lot when the electricity went out and shortly afterwards tried to grab the boys but they slipped out of his hand He was able to hold on to a tree where he remained for several hours until he could be rescued Torrent has also had to mourn the death of two other minors in their vehicle in the area of the Alaquás bridge when they were swept away by flood waters The children could not be saved and their bodies were found the following day in an orange grove Comentar es una ventaja exclusiva para registrados A pilot program in the Spanish region of Valencia has resettled five Syrian refugee families from Lebanon They are among a comparatively small number of Syrians to settle in Spain ALAQUÀS – The scorching July afternoon empties the streets of Alaquàs a handful of elderly men play dominoes to the jangling soundtrack of two slot machines the five members of the Younes family sit and drink coffee with María Ferrer Oday and Qusai are one of five Syrian families resettled from Lebanon to the Valencia region of eastern Spain in 2020 through a pilot resettlement program is one of the local volunteers helping the family navigate life in Spain Between sips of coffee and some local gossip María tells the family where to find a  better deal on 15-year-old Kawthar’s school books They talk about summer schools for five-year-old Qusai who quickly grows bored with the conversation and starts doing headstands at the bar The family says they are the only Syrians in Alaquàs, a village of 29,000 inhabitants, seven kilometers west of Valencia city. The village takes its name from the Arabic word al-aqwas (الأقواس)  meaning “the arches,” possibly in reference to a bridge spanning a nearby irrigation canal built during the Muslim era in Spain (711-1492 CE) Spain has welcomed fewer Syrian refugees than other European countries tend to prefer to settle in northern European countries with stronger economies and more policies supporting refugees than southern European countries initiatives like the Community Sponsorship Program in Valencia aim to help Syrians settle into the community The Community Sponsorship Program is a resettlement pilot program in Spain introduced in 2019 and inspired by the Canadian model based on the participation of local volunteers in welcoming resettled families five Syrian families—22 individuals—selected by UNHCR were resettled from Lebanon to five Valencian towns: València “We created a local group of volunteers to accompany the families when they go to the doctor They also do recreational activities together on the weekend—the idea is that when the program is finished the families have their support network,” explained Carmen Alonso Area Coordinator at the Jesuit Migrant Service the entity implementing the program and supporting Syrian families in Valencia city and Alaquàs The program offers resettled families a monthly allowance for 18 to 24 months Two of the first five families are already economically independent less than two years after their resettlement The Jesuit Migrant Service provided housing to the Younes family in Alaquàs and the family in Valencia when they arrived but the Younes family has already moved out and rented their own modest flat in Alaquàs The Spanish and Valencian regional governments jointly fund the resettlement program which  was first introduced in 2019 in the Basque Country then expanded in 2020 to the Valencia region and in 2021 to the Navarra region The program functions as an alternative to the country’s National Resettlement Program as asylum seekers wait for their claim to be processed then shared housing and finally can seek their own housing “families don’t have to go through all those phases they arrive already having the international protection status and are hosted and accompanied by an entity,” Alonso explained 4,036 refugees—3,628 of whom were Syrian—have been resettled through the Spanish National Resettlement Program 650 Syrian refugees have been resettled in Spain according to the Migration Ministry’s Press Office But resettlement figures are meager worldwide: In 2021, just 4 percent of the estimated 1.4 million refugees in need of resettlement were resettled. Since the beginning of the Syrian war, 182,668 Syrians have been resettled globally The number of Syrians obtaining international protection—refugee status or subsidiary protection—in Spain peaked in 2016 refugee status and subsidiary protection provide a renewable residency and work permit for five years Individuals who are at risk if they were to return to their country of origin but are not able to prove an individual fear of persecution receive subsidiary protection instead of refugee status “There’s no major difference between the refugee status and subsidiary protection,” explained Durà Lengthy procedures are one structural problem with Spain’s asylum system you may get an appointment in two years’ time,” Durà said “the time to process the claims is very long and the recognition rate is low,” he added The average rate of international protection recognition in Spain is at 10.5 percent while the European Union average stands at 35 percent But among asylum seekers who apply for protection Syrian nationals currently have one of the highest approval rates: 84.73 percent Moeen Sheikh Younes on the balcony of the family house in Alaquàs In the early days of 2011 Syria’s uprising-turned-conflict Moeen Sheikh and Wajiha fled their home in Reef Dimashq and sought safety in Lebanon the couple and their three children lived in a village near Sidon Moeen made a living as a carpenter in Beirut and the treatment towards Syrians started to change,” Moeen said Amidst an unprecedented economic crisis that started in 2019 a country that hosts 1.5 million Syrian refugees You’d hear racist comments on the street against Syrians,” Moeen explained but I have the same rights as a Spanish person When the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) offered the Younes family the opportunity to resettle in Valencia in 2019 “Most of the people around us who got resettled went for Sweden The family started googling Spain and contacted other Syrian refugees in the country Those they spoke to were not very enthusiastic about life in Spain as a refugee saying there is more support and better job opportunities in other EU countries Spain has the highest unemployment rate in Europe at 13.3 percent The Younes family arrived in Alaquàs in September 2020 “The cultures between Spain and Syria are very different We were used to being eight in a car,” she said “Now when we go to Bar José [a local tapas bar] ’ They tell us ‘you eat fish and calamari tapas’,” Moeen said Some of Wajiha’s Alaquàs friends have learned how to say ‘thank you’ in Arabic Learning Spanish was the family’s main challenge after arriving “The important thing that helped us integrate is that we started with learning Spanish and [now] we can talk to people in the street,” said Moeen “I would spend every day five hours on YouTube watching videos in Spanish I would do dialogues on my own—I ask and I answer myself,” she said she will start her Baccalaureate—the last two years of high school—in science She dreams of becoming a doctor or a judge Kawthar was used to being the first in her class “When I arrived here two years ago it was very difficult even better than some of my Spanish classmates,” she said with a proud smile “The opportunity came through María—her brother knows the manager and got me an interview,” Moeen explained Volunteers like María made it easier for  the Younes family to navigate daily life they would come with us to the health center or if we had an appointment in Valencia they would come with us,” said Moeen They have forged a special bond with one of them It has become a friendship and a family—they don’t forget any birthday,” Wajiha said my son was having breathing problems at night we contacted him and he told us he would be at our house in a minute.” Agustín and his wife make us feel like family,” added Moeen who hasn’t seen his family in Syria for a decade but she cannot visit them because when she left in 2020 Lebanese authorities stamped an entry ban on her passport as they tend to do with Syrian refugees leaving Lebanon “The most difficult thing for me is not seeing my family,” she said “If the war situation gets fixed…” started Wajiha I don’t think me and my wife would live to see it.”   Hussam Al Zein was eleven years old when the Syrian uprising began Intense shelling forced his family to leave their house in Reef Dimashq and they bombed 300 meters from our house,” said Hussam His father was detained by the Syrian regime for ten days in the early days of the conflict His family is not on “friendly” terms with any side in Syria and the Syrian regime killed my uncle,” said Hussam Hussam’s family fled to Mount Lebanon governorate we didn’t succeed in getting a residency permit,” Hussam explained 84 percent of Syrian refugees do not have legal residency which leaves them in a vulnerable position “A Lebanese man once threatened my father to call General Security which means getting detained and deported to Syria so we took our things and moved to Tripoli,” Hussam recalls UNHCR offered the family the opportunity to be part of the pilot program in Spain his parents and two siblings landed in Valencia city it was difficult to go from Beirut to Mount Lebanon,” a distance of around 70 km Syrians without residency permits tend to restrict their movements to avoid the risk of detention when passing through Lebanese army checkpoints Because he arrived in Spain over the age of 18 entering the school system was complicated and he believes his options to continue studying are limited as he would need four years of high school in order to do vocational training or enter university “I would be 25 when I would be able to enter university His parents divorced after arriving in Spain and he feels pressure to  find a job and provide for his mother and two siblings who he lives with in the house provided by the resettlement program but “the employers don’t trust that a 21 year old has experience,” he said “I specialized in carpentry and assembling kitchen furniture “If we go back to Syria it would be just to visit Hussam finds some similarity between Syrian and Spanish habits “It shocked me that the culture here is closer to us than other European countries “I don’t practice much because I don’t have many friends,” he said It was the same in Lebanon and Syria—I’m shy.”  Hussam goes with one friend to the beach in Valencia but “not much” because “there’s too many people Hussam navigated the latest summer heatwave by napping the day away winding his way through the sun-drenched Valencia afternoon nonprofit journalism organization dedicated to telling Syrian stories and training Syrian journalists Contact Us Support original reporting on Syria by donating to Syria Direct so our team of Syrian and international journalists can continue bringing you the stories that matter from on the ground inside Syria Donate Here FREEPORT — Alaqua Animal Refuge has announced and welcomed Jeff Jacob as its new executive director Jacob will be responsible for helping to lead the organization during an unprecedented growth period as Alaqua relocates to its permanent home a multimillion-dollar facility with expanded programs and services according to a press release from the nonprofit group "Jacob was selected for this critical role from a nationwide search that garnered more than 50 applicants Jacob’s hire demonstrates the nonprofit’s strong desire to partner with an individual whose passion and beliefs align with Alaqua’s mission and vision and who can bring the necessary background and experience to oversee and manage the important day-to-day work of the refuge while at the same time growing programs expanding Alaqua’s brand and broadening horizons," the release said By the way: Alaqua Animal Refuge featured on Hallmark Channel Alaqua Founder Laurie Hood will continue in her role as president to set and drive the vision for the refuge while strengthening and expanding national partnerships and leadership roles with organizations such as Animal Welfare Action Florida Wildlife Federation and the E.O She will continue to lead Alaqua’s advocacy efforts coordination with governmental agencies in prosecuting animal cruelty offenders and supporting their efforts in the judicial system “We are beyond thrilled to have Jeff on board and philosophy that will drive us closer to our vision He has demonstrated both organizational and inspirational leadership fundraising success and is an overall animal advocate — all with an entrepreneurial spirit that fits our culture,” Hood said “We have a lot of work to do and we are growing quickly," Hood added. "Not only are we moving into a new facility that is 10 times the size of our current location but we are also expanding our footprint into more community programs for healing and wildlife rehabilitation As we developed our strategic plan and outlined our goals for 2021 and beyond It was apparent that we needed to restructure our organization and find someone that could come in at an executive level and help move us forward Related: Alaqua keeps up fight for abused, neglected animals  Jacob brings more than 25 years of nonprofit and operational experience to Alaqua and has spent the majority of the past two decades advancing the interests of animals and people in healing environments He believes that animals are one of the most unique and healing entities we have on this planet.  Previously: Alaqua Animal Refuge in Freeport underwater after flooding from Hurricane Sally “I started out in nonprofit animal welfare before transitioning to other nonprofit sectors but all along I hoped and suspected that the right opportunity would present itself to circle back to our furry friends and combine my experiences for one organization," Jacob said "It was clear to me that Alaqua was doing amazing finding them new homes and providing sanctuary to them," he added "I loved the fact that it was also a place focused on helping people Several locals in Valencia have the seal of the Guild of Bakers and Confectioners of Valencia which for several years has chosen their favorites at Easter the best monas and panquemados are chosen by the Guild of bakers and confectioners of Valencia The association usually publishes the winners of its Easter sweets contest in different categories The Moreno Ponce oven has won the first prize for traditional monas in the XXXVII Concurso de Dulces de Pascua 2024 organized by the Gremio de Panaderos y Pasteleros de Valencia (Bakers and Confectioners Guild of Valencia) In 2023 it won the first prize for the best panquemado in Valencia according to the city’s Bakers’ Guild An essential neighborhood bakery this Easter The Horno L’Artesana in Valencia has imposed itself as the best place to buy a panquemado this Easter 2024 Valencia is lucky to have Monpla, one of the best pastry shops in the world that makes panquemados panetones and other sweets that are a scandal is one of the best bakeries to buy Easter cakes In 2022 it received several awards from the guild 📍Location: C. Turia, 4, 46184 San Antonio de Benagéber. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Horno Inma Moliner (@hornoinmamoliner) This Mislata oven has recently been chosen as the winner in the “Panquemao” category by the Valencia Bakers Guild in 2025. 📍Location: : C/ de Tomás Sanz, 28, 46920 Mislata. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Gracia Niclós🌿Farmacia Cádiz80 (@cadiz80_farmacia) Bordering the Ruzafa neighborhood is this family oven that makes one of the best monas in the city It was elected best traditional mona in 2025 It specializes in bread made with home-grown natural sourdough and traditional Valencian sweets It is a family business with more than half a century of history popularly known for the elaboration of panquemados cooked in a wood-fired oven Its raisin and walnut coca and its monas are not going to be less neighborhood oven that in 2022 became one of the best places to enjoy the Easter cake If you have been left wanting sweet or monas are not your thing, you can also visit the best bakeries in Valencia