SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, July 8 (EUROPA PRESS) –
La Laguna experienced a massive Magicians Dance this Friday night on the occasion of the San Benito Abad 2023 festivities. More than 6,000 people, according to data from the Local Police, had congregated since before 9:00 p.m. in the surroundings of the Plaza de la Concepción and the San Benito neighborhood to celebrate one of the great events of these festivities.
Since access to the reserved area was opened in La Concepción square and Marqués de Celada street, hundreds of people perfectly dressed in the traditional clothing of the eight islands occupied the 485 tables set up in this edition, in which they did not the music of the lively parrandas and abundant samples of Canarian gastronomy were missing.
The mayor of La Laguna, Luis Yeray Gutiérrez, has thanked “the wide participation, the festive atmosphere, and the affection with which our neighbors have taken care of all the details of this very traditional celebration. This is one of the most emblematic events of our festive calendar and from the City Council we have made a great effort so that our Magicians Ball can develop with the joy and animation that is breathed tonight”.
Luis Yeray Gutiérrez recalled that this year the commitment to give greater prominence to the San Benito neighborhood, and especially to the area around the hermitage, has been deepened; That is why they have wanted to expand the arrangement of tables towards that area through Marqués de Celada street and a good number of events have been scheduled in the neighborhood, especially this weekend. “However, the Plaza de La Concepción continues to be a nerve center of these festivities that connect us with the rural and peasant origins of the municipality of La Laguna,” he added.
The Councilor for Fiestas, Dailos González, also thanked “the response of the residents, who have not only attended this Magicians Ball in large numbers, but have done so taking care of even the smallest detail, so that everything has the air that characterizes it. It is clear that there is a great desire to live this festival with intensity”, assured the councilor, who also had words of gratitude “for all the staff in the Fiestas area, the participating groups and entities and the people who have been involved until the last minute in the preparations for the celebration”.
Around 9:30 p.m. the musical performances began on the stage under the Torre de La Concepción, in which the interventions of the rondallas Cuevas del Lino, Princesa Iraya, Guantejina and Yxemad were scheduled, with a wide folkloric repertoire in which there was no lack of isas, folías, malagueñas, polkas and seguidillas. Shortly after, a popular festival began on the second stage set up on Juana La Blanca street, in the San Benito area, enlivened by the Maquinaria Band and Los Kadetes orchestras. Also on Ascanio y Nieves street, a musical setting was planned after midnight by Víctor Torres, with a repertoire specially designed for the elderly.
The festivities reach their climax this Sunday, July 9, with the celebration of the Regional Pilgrimage of San Benito Abad, which is also expected to be very crowded. At 11:00 am there will be the traditional offering to the saint in his hermitage, in which a couple from each island of the Archipelago will offer their typical products. And at 12:00 noon the pilgrimage will start with the usual route through Marqués de Celada streets, Doctor Olivera square, Herradores street and Tabares de Cala to return to the hermitage through Obispo Rey Redondo and Marqués de Celada streets.
Previously, today there will be various sports and cultural activities in the morning; and in the afternoon the well-known ‘Procesión de la Víspera’ and the 8 Islas Festival on the stage set up on the stage of Juana la Blanca street, which will feature performances by soloists from all over the Archipelago, including Daniel Cruz, Israel Martín and Yumara Luis (La Palma), Guacimara Montelongo (Lanzarote), Iván Díaz (La Graciosa), Iván Quintana (Gran Canaria), Jonay Hernández (Tenerife), Luis Carballo (Fuerteventura), and Ylenia Quintero (El Hierro). ), who will also act as presenter of the act.
