Each year, a massive street party is held in Barcelona called La Merce that usually lasts for anywhere from 4-5 days. It is held as a way to honor Mae de Deu de la Merce, who is Barcelona's Patron Saint and, since its inception in 1902, this festival has grown a significant amount. Every year, it is considered to be the last hurrah of summer before autumn occurs. This year (2018) the festival will take place September 21-24.

Here are some of the events that are expected to take place:

Correfoc

Known as the fire run, as no surprise to the fiesta's attendees, this event features a lot of fire. In fact, sparkler fireworks are often shot in such a fashion that people who watch are often closer to the action than they'd expect. It is recommended that participants wear long sleeves and pants as well as glasses and hats in order to protect them from any stray sparks that may result from the aforementioned fireworks. Still, this event is notably tons of fun for local and traveling attendees from around the world. Taking place around dusk, you may see "The Devils" roaming about the streets. They are a group of people known to run up to unsuspecting people and set off a firecracker or two in order to try to scare them. You will also see some impressive fire/sparkler-breathing dragons walking around. For those with children, there is a separate Correfoc that's just for them and tends to be a lot tamer.

Castellers

Have you ever seen a human tower before? Castellers are one of the most anticipated things to see at La Merce. Basically, Castellers are human towers made up of numerous people. When the towers are finished being built, a small child climbs on top and tries to stand up. Literally, thousands of people go to the Placa de Jaume square to try to see this stunt and how high they can get. It's best to arrive early in order to get a good viewing spot.

Gigantes

The Giant Parade, called Gigantes, is popular with the young and old alike. Huge towering figures walk through the streets and tower over everyone, either allowing their looming figures to be their main source of entertainment, or even dancing and spinning around to awe the crowds. There is always local music and drumming that accompanies the parade.

Projection Show

Each evening, there is a projection show that takes place: images are projected on the side of a building in the town square. The show does change each evening and some individuals are in attendance every single night of La Merce.