Spring Festival 2025
The Spring Festival is an annual event dedicated to celebrating the arrival of the new season and highlighting the importance of gardening, organic agriculture and biodiversity in Barcelona.
This celebration gives residents the opportunity to engage with expert gardeners from the Municipal Institute of Parks and Gardens, who oversee the management and maintenance of the city’s green spaces.
In a fun and festive atmosphere, children and adults alike can learn the secrets of gardening, discovering the tools and techniques used to help the city’s plants grow strong and healthy.
This year's Spring Festival is being held in the Parc de l’Estació del Nord on Saturday, 5 April, with a programme rich in activities based around nature and gardening. The main goal is to raise awareness about the need to save water and green up natural spaces, favouring natural processes and allowing the spontaneous entry of flora and fauna, plus respectful behaviour.
When?: Saturday, 5 April, from 11 am to 7 pm
Where?: Parc de l’Estació del Nord
Activities during the event
Information point about the city’s parks and gardens
You will have the chance to learn first-hand about citizen participation projects related to green spaces.
Park discovery trail
Overcome all the tests around the discover route to become an expert on the Parc de l’Estació del Nord.
1. The art and nature park
Did you know that you can find the only example of land art built in Barcelona in the Parc de l’Estació del Nord? Discover the story of this green space and the Beverly Pepper sculptures Sol i ombra, Cel caigut and Espiral arbrada. You can use natural materials to create a piece simulating the sculpture.
2. Mediterranean vegetation
We have a challenge for you to try: identify various species of Mediterranean vegetation just by looking at their leaves. You’ll have to look at all their characteristics closely.
3. Sharing the park
Keeping green spaces in the best condition is down to all of us. Using these hieroglyphics, guess how respectful behaviour helps towards coexistence and helps the park be at its best for young and old to enjoy!
4. Tree life
Did you know Barcelona has a catalogue of trees of local interest? You can look for those nearest to where you live and learn how to measure their height using a very simple technique.
5. Gardeners’ tools
Activity to discover and get to know the tools used, their names, how they are used and what protective clothing gardeners have to wear.
6. End-of-activity gift
If you get through all the tests around the route, you can collect your gift!
Workshops and activities
Workshop 1: The jigsaw of water
There's nothing like a good jigsaw to spend a while having fun, full of concentration, reasoning and imagination. Learn more about drought and saving water and create your own keyring with the photo transfer technique.
Workshop 2: Shelters for solitary bees
Would you like to have your own solitary bee shelter to hang on your balcony at home? Using basic tools such as sandpaper, a gimlet and a brace, you’ll be able to create yours and help the city’s biodiversity.
Workshop 3: Making butterflies fly
Do you know which butterflies live in Barcelona? Discover the various species to be found in the city and how important green spaces are for them to feed and reproduce. Draw your own Barcelona butterfly, stick it on a wooden clothes peg and make it fly!
Workshop 4: Botanical illustration
Take the magnifying glass and observe every detail of the plants to be found in Barcelona’s parks and gardens. You’ll be able to draw the elements you find most interesting. Capture nature on paper and give it some colour!
Workshop 5: Plant exchange
Come along with your plant or cutting from home to swap with other local people.
Exhibition
The exhibition will explain how the city’s green spaces are being adapted to deal with climate change and drought. Topics will include garden design, sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS), groundwater, xerophytic species, tree planting and adaptation to climate change, soil management, and strategies for enhancing water retention and optimising irrigation.
Adults
Green library for children
Come and read children's tales and nature guides. Children can take the stories as inspiration and draw them.
Children’s play area
Let’s play with nature! Little ones will be able to have fun with blocks of wood, pinecones, sea shells and trunks that have been cut and sanded.
Fair for organisations
Space dedicated to organisations working on green initiatives and biodiversity.
galeria
