After two years living marked by the pandemic and its restrictions, people really want to return to life before, and it shows on the street. Yesterday, the García Sanabria park in Santa Cruz experienced one of the most intense days of the celebration of its 45th edition of the Exhibition of Flowers, Plants and Crafts of the May festivities, next to the Book Fair, on a Saturday marked by good weather and atmosphere, with many families, chicharreros and visitors, and the recovery of traditions in this emblematic setting of the founding festivities. All wrapped up in the desire to leave COVID times behind.
“The truth is that everything is very lively, people want to go out, they want to meet again. I think there is so much desire to return to normality that it is as if we had forgotten these two years of hiatus, and I think that is the feeling. The flow of assistance is good, and for us it is a joy, ”Mónica Brito explained yesterday, while she attended her Merci Bouquet florist, one of the four participating in the exhibition, at full capacity.
“Obviously as a florist we have many things to do and we are very happy, we have received a first prize for presentation at our stand, where we have a photocall with a dress made with flowers so that people can participate, take a photo, share it on networks and we want to reward the best posed”, he related.
Silke Endisch, from the family that owns Geranios Tenerife, also attended to the multitude of visitors who came in search of a plant to give away: “We have been coming since 1982. It has been wonderful to return, and people are very excited to buy, it is seen that plants continue to be a priority gift for mothers”.
Crafts also have a very important place in the exhibition, with 43 stalls, such as that of Beni Zamora, a seamstress of traditional costumes and who has received “with great joy” the return to the park. “There are a lot of people and it is very good, it seems as if we had already passed everything. These two years were very hard because since there were no pilgrimages or anything, my profession was completely stopped. It is already improving and people are encouraged to buy and there have been quite a few orders, people want to party”, she explained.
David Guijarro is a wood craftsman and from his stand he said that “we see that there has been a good reaction from the public to hold the fair in the park again, because the fair is in the park, it cannot be held anywhere else. And that you can find interesting things in traditional trades, because it also makes it a reference fair. It shows that people want to enjoy the park and the fair”, although he considers that “people reluctant to buy are a little noticeable”.
Trill
A return to traditions that was not only manifested through the craft stalls, but also the return of acts such as folk performances around the main fountain or traditional puppet shows. Gorgorito: Master Villarejo and his animated dollswhich are always full and have seen so many generations of chicharreros, like Paco Gómez, who brought his granddaughter to see them.
“Since my time when my grandfather brought me, we cannot lose the traditions,” explained this neighbor, who stated that he usually comes for the May Festivities. “We all want to spread out, to meet and this is a very nice meeting point. I believe that this is going back again to times that we had lost, and this cannot be lost because here it is the enjoyment of grandparents, grandchildren, of the people…”, he said.
But the exhibition also has space for gastronomic crafts, with 15 stands of typical products, such as sweets and mojos from Liz Rivero, owner of Dulcería El Portillo. “We are excited and happy with the environment, because we are back to normal again and I see people with confidence, that before it was fear…”, she pointed out.
And the traditional nougat of all the festivities have also returned, such as those from Francisco Pérez’s stand: “People are very grateful, they wanted to see the nougat at the May Festivities, as usual, since we have been here for more than 40 years coming”. An activity that has been greatly affected by the pandemic because “we were at home without working, without parties or pilgrimages or verbena, and let’s see if we are starting little by little to go back with the village festivities, it seems that life is taking a little bit of color”, he recounted.
Books
This year the exhibition also coincides with the Book Fair, which had its own space. “Joy in capital letters, because we are back in contact with the public, as it was before, and especially in this park, which is wonderful. There is a great atmosphere, with the artisans, the flowers, the booksellers… and we return to the parties. I think there is even more joy, from the first day we were surprised by all the booksellers that there were already people, and the very positive atmosphere, with the desire and joy that people have, “said Óscar Jiménez, owner of Librería Ofra.
A feeling shared by Ana González, from Cuentos en la Cabeza: “People are eager, after all this time… and that also helps them want to buy. We have come on other occasions when the plant and craft fair has coincided with the book fair. I quite like it because the public can spend a very entertaining and varied day, because you have a little bit of everything and the park is wonderful”. The fair and exhibition will remain open until Tuesday.
