Spanish for Describing Festivals: Saying 'We have a tomato festival' and Similar Event Statements
Learn to describe local festivals in Spanish using tener and hay, with event vocabulary like festival, feria, desfile, and concurso.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
To talk about a festival in Spanish, the most natural pattern is tener + festival: Tenemos un festival del tomate. You can also use hay for existence: Hay un festival del tomate. This lesson teaches you to describe events, not customs, so you will focus on what happens: hay desfiles, concursos, música, y comida. You will learn to say 'we have' and 'there is/are' for festivals, use event nouns, and ask about celebrations in Latin American Spanish.
By the end, you can…
- say that my town or country has a festival using tener and hay.
- name common festival events in Spanish, such as desfile, concurso, and feria.
- ask and answer simple questions about what happens at a festival.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Tenemos un festival del tomate.
We have a tomato festival.
teh-NEH-mohs oon fees-TEH-vahl del toh-MAH-teh
Use tener for 'we have' when you present your town's or country's festival. Tenemos is the nosotros form of tener.
Hay un festival del tomate.
There is a tomato festival.
eye oon fees-TEH-vahl del toh-MAH-teh
Use hay to state that a festival exists or takes place. It does not change for singular or plural: Hay un festival, Hay festivales.
En el festival hay un desfile.
At the festival there is a parade.
en el fees-TEH-vahl eye oon des-FEE-leh
Use en el festival to set the scene, then hay + event noun. Desfile means parade.
También hay concursos y música.
There are also contests and music.
tahm-BYEN eye kon-KOOR-sohs ee MOO-see-kah
También means 'also.' Hay stays the same with plural nouns: hay concursos, hay música.
¿Qué se celebra en tu ciudad?
What is celebrated in your city?
keh seh seh-LEH-brah en too see-oo-DAHD
A natural question to ask about local festivals. Se celebra is an impersonal way to say 'is celebrated.'
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
Use tener for what your group has, and hay for what exists. Tenemos una feria. = We have a fair. Hay una feria. = There is a fair. To describe events, add nouns after hay: Hay un desfile. Hay concursos. Hay música. Hay comida. You can combine: Tenemos un festival y hay un desfile.
When to use it
Use Tenemos when you speak for a town, family, or country: Tenemos un festival del tomate. Use Hay when you simply announce that something exists or happens: Hay un festival del tomate. In questions, use ¿Hay...? or ¿Tienen...? ¿Hay un desfile? ¿Tienen un festival? For events, avoid using ser to say 'is a festival'; say Hay un festival or Es un festival only when identifying what something is.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
¿Tienen algún festival en tu ciudad?
Do you have any festival in your city?TYEH-nehn ahl-GOON fees-TEH-vahl en too see-oo-DAHDSí, tenemos un festival del tomate en agosto.
Yes, we have a tomato festival in August.see, teh-NEH-mohs oon fees-TEH-vahl del toh-MAH-teh en ah-GOHS-toh¿Y qué hay en el festival?
And what is there at the festival?ee keh eye en el fees-TEH-vahlHay un desfile, concursos y mucha comida.
There is a parade, contests, and a lot of food.eye oon des-FEE-leh, kon-KOOR-sohs ee MOO-chah koh-MEE-dahA little context goes a long way
In Latin American Spanish, festival, feria, and fiesta are not interchangeable. Festival often suggests organized events like concerts or contests; feria often suggests a fair with stands; fiesta is a broader celebration. Regional usage varies, so ask locally: ¿Cómo le dicen aquí?
One thing to watch for
Saying Somos un festival del tomate to mean 'We have a tomato festival.'
Try this instead: Use Tenemos un festival del tomate or Hay un festival del tomate. Somos means 'we are' and identifies people, not events. For example, Somos de México is fine, but for a festival say Tenemos un festival.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'We have a festival' in Spanish?
Show a sample answer
Tenemos un festival.
Tenemos is the nosotros form of tener, used for what your group has. Hay un festival is also correct if you mean 'There is a festival.'
2Translate: 'There is a parade at the festival.'
Show a sample answer
Hay un desfile en el festival.
Hay expresses existence, and desfile means parade. En el festival gives the location. You could also say En el festival hay un desfile.
3Ask 'What is celebrated in your city?' in Spanish.
Show a sample answer
¿Qué se celebra en tu ciudad?
Se celebra is an impersonal passive meaning 'is celebrated.' ¿Qué hay en tu ciudad? is also possible but asks what is there, not what is celebrated.
Use Tenemos for 'we have' and Hay for 'there is/are' when describing festivals; add event nouns like desfile, concurso, and música to say what happens.
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