He wizards dance de San Benito brought together more than 6,000 peopleaccording to data from the Local police provided by the La Laguna City Council, which shared tradition, gastronomy and enjoyed the lively partying and musical performances throughout the night on different stages.
Laguneros and visitors met last night to celebrate one of the most massive festivities in the municipality, which this year also grew in number of tables and extension. Thus, they enabled 485 tableswhose reservations were sold out days ago in just over two hours, in the surroundings of the Plaza de La Concepción and on Calle Marqués de Celada, in order to bring the party closer to the San Benito neighborhood.
Tables packed with crowds of attendees who enjoyed a wide variety of typical dishes as tradition dictates, among which chickpeas, gofio, fiesta meat or wrinkled potatoes, accompanied by local wine and sweets such as rosquetes or biscuits, while the musical performances of the rondallas Cuevas del Lino, Princesa Iraya, Guantejina and Yxemad took place on the lower stage of the La Concepción tower, with a wide folkloric repertoire in which there was no lack of isas, folias, malagueñas, polkas and seguidillas.
At the same time, around 10:00 p.m., a popular festival began on the second stage set up on Juana La Blanca street, in the San Benito area, with performances by the Maquinaria Band and Los Kadetes orchestra. Calle Ascanio y Nieves also had a musical setting starting at 12:30 a.m., by Víctor Torres, who offered a repertoire specially designed for the elderly.
The mayor of La Laguna, Luis Yeray Gutiérrez, 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 dance of magicians can develop with the joy and animation that is breathed”, he highlighted.
The Councilor for Fiestas, Dailos González, also thanked “the response of the residents, who have not only attended this dance of magicians in large numbers, but have done so taking care of even the smallest detail, so that everything has the traditional air what characterize it. It is clear that there is a great desire to live this party with intensity ”.
Pilgrimage
The program continues today with sports and cultural activities, and in the afternoon the so-called procession of the eve and the 8 Islands Festival will take place. But the festivities reach their climax tomorrow, with 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 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 and Tabares de Cala streets, to return to the hermitage through Obispo Rey Redondo and Marqués de Celada streets.
