Tonis de Taradell Festival

Until 1982, the events of the Tonis de Taradell were organised by the Association of Sant Antoni Abat, linked to the parish of Taradell and managed by four administrators with two-year terms. For decades, the celebration focused on the blessing of the animals, donkey races, and the occasional concert, but with the technological changes of the 1960s, the events declined, being limited to religious services and popular dances.

In 1982, a group of villagers founded the current Sant Antoni Abat Festival Committee, breaking away from the parish and reviving old traditions such as the donkey race and the Tres Tombs parade. Since then, the festival has been held uninterruptedly on the weekend before 17 January, except in 2002, when the parade was suspended due to an outbreak of Classical Swine Fever.

1995 was another key year, as a renewal of the Festival Committee promoted a strategic plan to guarantee the continuity of the celebration, focusing on the recovery of traditional carriages and work tools. This new direction was consolidated thanks to participation in the Congress of Culture of Osona, organised by the Regional Council.

Taradell has become a reference point for the Tres Tombs in Catalonia and, every January, around Sant Antoni Abat, it kicks off the calendar of the Tonis in Osona. This centuries-old tradition has evolved alongside technological changes in agricultural work.

In 2011, the Tonis de Taradell Festival was declared a Traditional Festival of National Interest for its role in the recovery of nearly vanished traditions, the diversity of activities, and the strong involvement of the community, becoming a key part of local identity.

The festival has successfully combined tradition and innovation, incorporating the figure of the heir, the recovery of carriages and tools, school competitions, a presence on social media, and other activities such as the work camp, participation in television series, the Wheat Ecomuseum, the Sant Antoni bonfires, the Pork Tasting, traditional games, donkey rides, exhibitions, and the promotion of the Antoni Pladevall i Font Library with the Espai Joan del Colomer.