One of the oldest and most famous rowing regattas Flag La Concha happens on the first two Sundays of September in San Sebastian. From 1879 competitions are held between teams from towns and villages throughout the northern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. Traditional rowing boats carrying a crew of thirteen rowers and a helmsman start in La Concha Bay from where they go out into the open sea. Overcoming waves, they speed around the buoys that mark the track and return to their original position. Energetic fans dressed in the traditional colors of each team's village cheer on the shore along the rowers' route. An unusual atmosphere of rivalry and excitement reigns on the beach, in the port and on La Concha promenade. The regatta is accompanied by a week-long Basque festival with traditional food, local beer and of course music and dances. Tens of thousands of tourists from all over the world come to enjoy this event. You can buy tickets for the stands that offer an excellent view of regatta from donostia kultura site. If you prefer to watch the regatta from the comfort of your home, tune to the local San Sebastian channel ETB1 that airs a live broadcast of the event in great details, but make sure to come out around 1:30 pm to enjoy grilled sardines, traditional flatbreads with txistorra, cider and the holiday mood!