SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 14 Jul. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The primary day of the patron saint festivities of San Benito Abad was hosted in La Laguna this Sunday, with the Regional Pilgrimage being the only one with such recognition in the entire Canary Islands.
Over 15,000 individuals flooded the streets of the city to partake in this procession, which featured around 85 carts and wagons, over 40 folklore groups, traditional boats, and a small representation of the municipality’s livestock.
La Laguna’s Mayor, Luis Yeray Gutiérrez, highlighted that this celebration “not only honours tradition and revelry, but also pays homage to the many generations of La Laguna locals, past and present, who have been dedicated to caring for our primary sector and rural areas of the municipality.”
“Both on Sunday and at the Magicians’ Ball, we have witnessed record-breaking attendance and participation figures, demonstrating the increasing interest in these festivities, which have now become a focal point for the entire island and even attract visitors from other islands,” the mayor added.
“In this edition, we aimed to include our neighbouring island, Gran Canaria, in these celebrations, as this year marks a century since the last time San Benito Abad and the image of the Virgen del Pino participated in this Regional Pilgrimage,” stated the mayor. “One hundred years later, we have successfully recreated that moment rich in symbolism, now steeped in the history of these festivities,” he concluded.
The Regional Pilgrimage drew a significant crowd right from the beginning, in the vicinity of San Benito, and throughout the various streets of the historic centre. Following the procession, a street festival will be held, marking the pinnacle of a joyous day filled with merrymaking, local gastronomy, and traditional attire from across the archipelago.
