Photographer Luisa Dörr was visiting her husband’s family in Cambrils, Spain, when she came across three words that took her work in a new—and lavish—direction: Fallas de Valencia.

“I saw a fallera dressed and loved it immediately,” says 29-year-old Dörr, a native of Brazil. She started to dig into stories of the falleras’ traditions and history, researching their past and learning about communities today that embrace the custom.

Held annually in March, the Fallas de Valencia, or the Fiesta de San Jose, is among the most celebrated traditions in Valencia and one of the country’s biggest street festivals. The event is marked by fireworks, music, and parades. Valencianos prepare for the five-day event by constructing elaborate papier-mâché monuments and satirical figurines, known