La Laguna has lived this Sunday the big day of its patron saint festivities of San Benito Abad with the celebration of the Regional Pilgrimage, the only one in the Canary Islands that has this consideration.
More than 15,000 people, according to data from the Local Police, have attended this festive event that was attended by the Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, Héctor Gómez; the mayor of La Laguna, Luis Yeray Gutiérrez, and members of the Municipal Corporation and the Parliament of the Canary Islands.
“This is a day of celebration for La Laguna, a day of joy and a reunion with our traditions, with our agricultural origins,” said Luis Yeray Gutiérrez. “The festivities of San Benito claim our ties to the land and remind us of the importance of caring for and protecting the rural environment, which is part of our idiosyncrasy.”
The mayor wanted to thank “thousands of people who have dedicated themselves to this day, with parties, dance groups and carts, and those who have made it possible from the organization.”
The Regional Pilgrimage left after noon from the hermitage of San Benito. 61 carts, 22 parrandas, three typical boats and two herds of goats and sheep, took part in the tour, which opened the drums of the folkloric group El Farol, the Dance of Flowers of Guamasa and a couple from each island of the Archipelago with the offering of typical products for San Benito. The Sabandeños preceded the image of the saint, and after it, the Municipal Corporation, the traditional boats and the carts, prolonging the pilgrimage until well into the afternoon.
