The Entroido (carnival) of Verín, along with those of Laza and Xinzo, is one of the three great pre-Lent festivals of Galicia, and the only one of the three where the masked figures — the cigarróns — interact directly with the crowds in the streets rather than only in set-piece parades. The cigarrón is a masked figure in a brilliantly painted tin-and-cloth mask, a red-and-white-striped robe, white knee-high stockings, and a heavy belt of cow bells; he carries a horsetail whip and chases people through the alleys to crack the whip near their feet.
The main days are the Sunday before Lent (Domingo Corredoiro, when the cigarróns are formally released into the streets) and the following Tuesday (Martes de Entroido), with a procession on the Monday. The town is packed in those days — accommodation needs to be booked weeks ahead. Beyond the cigarróns, the festival includes food traditions like the bica de Vilanova (a Galician cake) and the foliada (street music sessions in the bars).