The Cabildo de Tenerife has suspended events and fairs, such as the Tenerife Bluetrail Expodeporte, Renueva Hogar 2022 or the Audiovisual Technology Congress, among others, scheduled for the months of May and June, so that the Fairgrounds can host the Santa Cruz Carnival . This was announced yesterday by the island president, Pedro Martín, who assured that “it has not been easy, given that we have reservations of dates and commitments with event promoters, entities and companies.”
One of the most complicated changes due to the volume of activity it represents has been the VII Gastronomic Hall of the Canary Islands, Gastrocanarias 2022, which was scheduled to be held in May, the month that Santa Cruz needs to set up the stage. “We have asked its organizers in a meeting held today (yesterday) to change their dates, as well as the participating companies and professionals to remain at the fair despite the change of dates. We must take into account the size of Gastrocanarias, which brings together 217 exhibitors, 73 companies and more than 17,000 visitors in each edition,” said the president.
The insular councilor for Socioeconomic Development, Carmen Luz Baso, and the manager of the Tenerife Trade Fair Institution, Iñaki Domínguez, as well as the general director of Interideas, José Carlos Marrero, participated in the meeting.
The island president insisted that “although all these changes represent a great upheaval for the Fairgrounds, we understand that this is an exceptional situation and, therefore, the Cabildo will continue to seek solutions to make available for the celebration of the Chicharrero Carnival”.
From the City Council of Santa Cruz, the Councilor for Fiestas, Alfonso Cabello, yesterday thanked the Cabildo for the gesture. “We value all the effort that the entire team of the Cabildo de Tenerife has made to make possible the possibility of the return of the Carnival to the Fairgrounds, and thus amend the situation generated by the nonsense of the position of the Port Authority regarding the celebration of a party of this characteristics”.
Cabello went on to point out that “it is undoubtedly good news for the Santa Cruz Carnival, although ultimately it saddens me for what it means for the reduction of companies in the area around the center. I hope that at some point the Port Authority gives explanations to these companies about the reason for this refusal”.
Regarding the details of the organization, the mayor of Fiestas pointed out that “we have to finish seeing the details with the Fairgrounds, and I hope it will be the same Monday, of the exact days. We have an approximation, but we have one last fine agreement left that I hope will happen on Monday.”
Meanwhile, yesterday, the City Council of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria announced the date on which it will celebrate its carnival in the street, if the pandemic allows it, and that it would be the first weekend of July. In this regard, the councilor for Fiestas de Santa Cruz pointed out that “in Santa Cruz we are more cautious and we will wait to make that decision until the latest possible moment and the one that least compromises the organization, which we understand will be after Easter”.
