The Flowers Squareat the core of San Agustinhosted this Wednesday, June 29, 2022, the presentation that marks the long-awaited return of the Carmen Festivities of The Realejos. Three years after the last conventional edition, back in July 2019, the town recovers the usual budget and program before the arrival of Covid-19 and organizes a total of 70 religious, cultural, sports and recreational activities that will be distributed between July 1 and 29.
Mayor, Adolfo Gonzalez (PP), invited everyone who wishes to enjoy such festivities “so special for realejeros” in which “color, joy, leisure and traditions will return” to the streets of the northern town. Some festivities that are also lived with special devotion among the residents of Puerto de la Cruz and San Juan de la Rambla. Among what is recovered, after very limited editions in 2020 and 2021, the mayor highlighted the processions, the traditional children’s and adult galas, with ten applicants in each of them, the concerts or the Great Festival of Wines and Potatoes, scheduled for July 23. On that same day, the 64 Carmen Cycling Belt, the Papa Bonita Gastronomic Show and the celebration of the 400th anniversary of the arrival of potato cultivation.
The Mayor of Festivities, Jose David Cabrera (PP), remarked that this edition is once again at the height of the times before the pandemic, with a specific expense in the Fiestas area that will be around 90,000 euros. Among the acts that return, the Cuban Festival (July 8), the Atabara Festival (July 10), the Manuel Plasencia Memorial (July 15), the Zarzuela Anthology (July 19), the Habaneras Festival ( July 20) or the Gala for the Election of the Queen and Princess of the Sea, with the performance of Falete (July 22).
The parish priest of the parish communities of Realejo Bajo and Santuario del Carmen, Marco Antonio Garciadetailed the main religious acts, which will be concentrated on July 16 (Festivity of Carmen), July 17 (with the procession of the Virgin towards La Carrera), July 24 (Octava del Carmen, with the procession of sailors from Porto) and on July 25 (Monday of Carmen).
The representative of the Cultural Association Fiestas del Carmen, Carmen Ana Gonzalezrecalled the importance of recovering these festivities in all their splendor and stressed that they are not only faith and revelry, but also “a source of income for many people.”
The most important days
The July 6th, the descent of the Virgin from the dressing room. The Parish of Our Lady of Carmen celebrates, after the 9:00 am mass, the descent of the Virgin from her dressing room.
The July 9th from 5:00 p.m., folkloric, flower and food offering, and, at 9:00 p.m., in the Plaza de San Agustín reading of the proclamation of Emilio Navarro.
The July 16thFestivity of Carmen, at 7:00 p.m., Eucharist and procession to Realejo Bajo and La Cascabela.
The July 24, day of the Octave del Carmen. Starting at 7:00 p.m., mass and procession with the sailors who arrived from Puerto de la Cruz.
The July 25, Carmen Monday. From 11:00 a.m., mass, offering of the baton to the honorary and perpetual mayor, and procession.
