Image burned on July 31, 1936. Photo courtesy of Isabel Cano Rodriguez.
The patron saint festivities in honor of the Virgen de la Cabeza, which so far we have documented, were held for the first time on September 8, 1904.
Subsequently, in the ordinary session of August 13, 1911, it was agreed that the livestock fair be held together with the patron saint festivities of the Virgen de la Cabeza, since it was the wish of the population and the spirit of the municipal corporation.
Agree:
- The livestock fair will be held on September 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10, to be held in the Era del Lugar and surroundings.
- According to the stewards of the Virgen de la Cabeza who are in charge of the festivities, they will try to give the fair as much splendor as possible to please the neighbors and attract as many outsiders as possible.
- The Mayor (Mr. Gabriel Guerrero Simón) and the Secretary (Mr. José Guerrero Simón) will be in charge of preparing and printing the program of festivities.
- The Comisión de Fomento (currently the commission of works and services) will be in charge of the realization of the festivities and will provide the necessary personnel from the town hall.
The inauguration of the new municipal cemetery (laying of the first stone) is included in the program of the fair and festivities and will be on September 10, the last day of the fair, at 11:00 am with the assistance of the municipal corporation, judicial and ecclesiastical authorities, as well as the whole town.
The mayor Don Gabriel Guerrero Simón states that the band of music of Cuevas has been offered, and has spoken with the society of electric light of Vera that will be responsible for the installation of spotlights in El Real de la Feria (Era del lugar) and Plaza de la Constitución (current Plaza de España), since the festivities are held in the Town Hall Square and the Fair in the Era del lugar. He also got the Victoria de Garrucha cinematographer to come during the festivities, this being the first time that there will be cinema in the town of Antas.
Fair and fiesta expenses were as follows:
| Concept | Amount |
| Street cleaning and watering for the holidays | 100 pesetas |
| Promotion committee expenses (organization of festivities) | 200 pesetas |
| Pyrotechnician Juan Rodriguez Muñoz (fireworks and rockets) | 228 pesetas |
| Installation of the power plant on Calle del Mar (electricity in El Real de la Feria and in the Plaza was free). | 50 pesetas |
| Lunch for the musicians of Cuevas during the 8th, 9th and 10th (the music band was free, and the music band of Vera was paid by the Mayordomos de la Patrona). | 60 pesetas |
| TOTAL EXPENSES | 638 pesetas |
It is agreed to record the thanks to the Mayor: Mr. Gabriel Guerrero Simón; Development Commission: Domingo Rodrigo Pérez, Diego Simón Segado and Felix Cano Ridao; Parish Priest: Domingo Sebastián Caparrós and Stewards of the Patron Saint: Don Luis Simón López (first deputy mayor) Don José Guerrero Simón (Secretary of the City Council) and Don Luis Pérez Ureña (Statistical Officer of the City Council).
In 1912, in spite of the economic difficulties, due to the drought because of the lack of rain, it was agreed to give the fair booths free of charge to the fairgrounds to continue giving splendor to the fair (100 pesetas were charged for the booths). The fair will be held from September 6 to 10 inclusive, and the new municipal cemetery will be blessed on September 10 at 17:00 hours. Due to the great devotion of the inhabitants of Antas to the Virgen de la Cabeza, the cemetery will be called “Nuestra Señora de la Cabeza”.
The expenses for the fair and festivities were as follows:
| Concept | Amount |
| Cable and ropes for fireworks | 30 pesetas |
| Pyrotechnician Juan Rodrigo Muñoz (fireworks and rockets) | 250 pesetas |
| Vera Music Band (from September 6th to 10th) | 350 pesetas |
| Carpenter Juan Ramirez Torres for the rental and installation of the fair booths and seats for the rides (here, surely, was born the deep-rooted tradition in Antas of the rides “up and down”). | 150 pesetas |
| Pay José Culas of Seville for lanterns, balloons and candles for the fair. | 160 pesetas |
| To pay Juan Serrano Alarcón for the lighting of the 5 nights of the fair. | 75 pesetas |
| Pay Diego Soler for two iron arms and place the arches with lights. | 15 pesetas |
| To pay the water company for the abundance (3 hours of water) to pour it into the tanks so that there is no lack of water during the days of the fair at 30 pesetas per hour. | 90 pesetas |
| Distribution of bread and money to the local poor on September 7. | 55 pesetas |
| Paying the mayor for public events | 100 pesetas |
| Pay Juan Inverno Haro, in charge of the cleaning and watering of the Plaza de la Constitución and Era del lugar | 70 pesetas |
| TOTAL EXPENSES | 1,345 pesetas |
Photo taken from the festival program (reference year 2022).
The festivities in honor of the Virgen de la Cabeza will continue to be held until 1936. On August 23, 1936 it was agreed to suspend the festivities that were to be held on September 6 to 10 and were postponed until circumstances permitted. We have to take into account that the coup d’état of General Franco took place on July 17, 1936 and on July 31 of that year the images were burned, among them, the Virgen de la Cabeza.
The Civil War ends on April 1, 1939 with the triumph of General Franco, and on September 22, 1939 a commission of celebrations composed by Messrs: Don Blas Simón Zamora (member of the Gestora Commission of the municipality), Don Francisco García González (assistant Town Hall Secretary) and Don Luis Ridao Clemente (prominent member of Falange) to be in charge and direct the festivities during October 6, 7 and 8 (the only time we have for the moment record that the festivities have not been held between September 6 and 10).
The Virgin arrived by rail to Zurgena from Vitoria where it was bought, to the house of Pedro Ruiz and its cost was 711 pesetas and 31 pesetas of freight by rail at high speed. It seems that from Zurgena it was brought in a truck to the Real to the farmhouse of Ildefonso Soler and Francisca Guerrero. From Real it was brought on shoulders on October 6 to the Era del Tío Ignacio where it was blessed and carried in procession to the Church.
These celebrations, held during the 3 days of the fair, cost 1460 pesetas and were paid by Blas Simón Zamora, and were paid once there was money in the cash box.
On August 29, 1940 a commission of celebrations is created composed by: Francisco Garcia González, Blas Simón Zamora and Cristobal Ridao Clemente (member of the new Management Commission) so that on September 7, 8 and 9 the patron saint festivities in honor of the Virgen de la Cabeza are celebrated.
