Isidro Felipe Acosta's proclamation opens the May Festival of Los Realejos this Saturday with more than 80 events
The most massive events will be the Crosses and Fires festival on May 2 and 3, the Magician's Dance on May 18 and the Pilgrimage on the 26th.
The mayor of Los Realejos, Adolfo González, the Councilor for Festivals, Isabel Socorro, and the parish priest of the Mother Parish of the Apostle Santiago de Realejo Alto, Ángelo Nardone, presented this Friday, April 26, at the doors of the temple, in Plaza Viera and Clavijo, the programming of the May Festival of this 2024, made up of more than 80 events, to then proceed to the raising of the flag of the celebrations at the doors of the City Hall by the hands of the Romera of 2023, Lucía Rodríguez González, and of whom on this Saturday, April 27, the royal photographer Isidro Felipe Acosta will read the proclamation.
The aforementioned proclamation event will take place in Plaza Viera y Clavijo itself at 9:00 p.m., with the intervention of the mayor of Los Realejos and the presentation of the twelve candidates who are competing for the title of Romera Mayor 2024, represented by different entities. neighborhood and cultural events of the town, where their order of participation in the election gala on May 11 will be drawn. The event this Saturday the 27th will also feature a performance by the group Entrevoces to liven up the night.
Also this weekend, specifically at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 27, the III Asomadero Vertical Race will start from Calle El Sol. Later at 7:00 p.m. the Eucharist will be celebrated in the Santiago Parish Apostle and the transfer of the Holy Cross to the presbytery. On this first opening day, the performance of 'Cantan Mujeres', the first performance of the Teatrejo Festival, is also planned, which with a total of six performances will run until next May 1.
The royal councilor recalled that “it is time to honor what we are, look inward and commemorate the folklore and typical costumes in a month of celebration that begins with the raising of the flag of the May Festival, hand in hand and the voice of the real estate owner Samuel Fumero and that will end after the festival of Our Lady of Los Remedios on May 30, Canary Islands Day.”
“I take this opportunity to invite all the residents of the municipality to enjoy these festivities, to do it as we know, recovering traditions, clothing and being faithful to that 'As it should be' campaign. So that those inside and outside see us favorably, in addition to encouraging all people from outside the municipality to come and get to know Los Realejos through its festivals,” added Adolfo González.
CHECK THE PROGRAM OF EVENTS HERE
Isabel Socorro reviewed the more than 80 festive activities that are included in the program and pointed out that “all the events that are celebrated in May are done in honor of the devotional milestones that are concentrated inside this Matriz del Apóstol Parish. Santiago”. She added that “from the City Council what we do is decorate all those religious days with our programming that is prepared from the areas of Culture, Sports, Agriculture, Tourism, Security and Emergencies, and Festivals, in addition to the Municipal Services Company Realserv” .
For his part, Ángelo Nardone, parish priest of the Church of Santiago Apóstol, mentioned that “do not lose the connection with the Faith or the religious germ of these celebrations that revolve around La Cruz, San Isidro and Santa María de la Cabeza and to Nuestra Señora de Los Remedios, which mark the most important dates and festivities of the month of May.”
Candidates for Romera Mayor
The twelve candidates who will present their candidacy for Romera Mayor of the 2024 May Festival will be: Alicia Dóniz (Los Cochineros Cultural and Recreational Association), Miriam Hernández (Cultural Association of the Nira Carnival), Evelyn Dóniz (Casino Cruz Santa Society), Andrea Delgado (AA.VV Good Neighbors), Daniela García (El Horno Festival Commission), Valeria Linares (AA.VV Tigotán), Idoia García (AA.VV Santa Marta), Andrea Pérez (Círculo Viera y Clavijo Society), Sara Domínguez ( AA.VV Viera y Clavijo), Elena Hernández (AA.VV Campo Verde), Nayara Fariña (AA.VV Dos Palmeras) Danna Indira Delgado (AA.VV La Barca).
Crosses and Fires of May 2024
The most important festival in the municipality is celebrated between May 2 and 3, where Los Realejos is decorated with flowers and colors in honor of the Holy Cross. This celebration was declared in 2009 as a Festival of Tourist Interest in the Canary Islands and, since 2015, it has also been recognized in the category of National Tourist Interest, a title granted by the Spanish Ministry of Tourism.
In this way, on Thursday, May 2, starting at 11:45 p.m., the luminous clock located outside the Municipal Tourism Office will face its final stretch in the countdown that marks the beginning of the Day of the Cross, a unique festivity that remembers and celebrates the historic pique between Calle El Sol and Calle El Medio Arriba with one of the largest pyrotechnic displays in Europe, where the harmonious beats and colorful recreations of light illuminate the royal sky for almost 3 hours.
San Isidro Festival
On Wednesday, May 15, the name day of San Isidro, the traditional ringing of bells and launching of flyers will take place. In the afternoon, from 7:00 p.m. the Eucharist will be celebrated and then the Pilgrimage Girl, in which different groups participate with carts and improvised parties. At its end, it will give way to the popular festival in Plaza Viera y Clavijo by the Swing Latino Group.
Wizards Dance
The traditional Magician's Dance is one of the most anticipated events of the May celebrations in Los Realejos. This year it will take place on Saturday, May 18, starting at 10:00 p.m., with different areas that are divided into environments:
- Plaza Viera y Clavijo will host performances by the Corinto Band, Sabrosa and Arguayo Band orchestras. Kimbara and Teide Swing will perform on Doctor González Street.
- On Avenida de Los Remedios the atmosphere is tinged with folklore thanks to the royal groups Los Trigales, Guayacsanta, Echeyde Valle Verde, Chiguet, El Chirato, Tigaray and Los Dóniz (order yet to be determined).
- The 'young zone', as usual, will be located on Calle Tenerife.
Livestock Fair and Festival of the Islands
In this edition, the massive Livestock Fair, popularly known as 'las reses', will take place on May 25 starting at 10:00 a.m. at Finca El Llano. On this same day, at 9:00 p.m. in Plaza Viera y Clavijo, the XLIX Festival of the Islands will be held, with the representation of the eight islands of the archipelago through different groups (AF Hautacuperche for La Gomera, AF Guayadeque for Gran Canaria, AF Maxorata in Fuerteventura, AF Malpaís in La Corona de Lanzarote, Parranda Los Toledo in La Graciosa, AF Echentive in La Palma, AF Sabinosa in El Hierro and AF Atabara in Tenerife), the same groups that will perform during the Pilgrimage in honor to San Isidro Labrador and Santa María de la Cabeza.
San Isidro Labrador Pilgrimage
The Pilgrimage in honor of San Isidro Labrador and Santa María de la Cabeza will continue to be one of the biggest attractions of the royal May Festival. This year it will take place on May 26 from 12:00 p.m., once the Eucharist has finished, under the interpretation of the 'Canary Mass' by Tigaray.
At 6:00 p.m. the entry of the saints to the Matriz del Apóstol Santiago Parish is scheduled, where one of the most exciting moments of the festive program will be experienced, with accompaniment with chácaras, whistles and drums by the Sabinosa Folkloric Group of El Hierro, who for more than 40 years have been direct witnesses of this event.
After the Pilgrimage, the two musical environments located in Plaza Viera y Clavijo and on Calle Doctor González will begin, with performances by the Malibú, Maquinaria Band and Grupo LD orchestras on the first stage, and by the AM En Clave Musical Duo In a second.
Monday of Remedies
Like every year, the Monday after the Pilgrimage, popularly known as 'Remedies Monday', is the day that puts the finishing touch to the festive programme. Thus, on May 27, the traditional ringing of bells, recitation of the Angelus and launching of flyers will take place at 12:00 noon with a Eucharistic celebration, as a prelude to the solemn religious celebration at 7:00 p.m., both in the Church Matrix of the Apostle Santiago, in honor of Our Lady of Remedies. Next, the procession with the sacred image will take place along the usual route.
More than 80 acts
In addition to the events already mentioned, the program presented this Friday, April 26, includes more than 80 initiatives of a religious, cultural, popular, sports and solidarity nature, also highlighting the meeting day with Canarian popular culture dedicated to the little ones, such as It is the Children's Magician's Ball, scheduled for the afternoon of Tuesday, May 28.
The mayor wanted to conclude the event by recognizing “the realejeros who strive to keep this tradition alive in the four cardinal points of Los Realejos.” In addition, he thanked “the work of all the people who are part of a folkloric group, of those who come together in some way to actively participate in the May festivities, also the security forces and volunteers, as well as the rest of the people who work so that each and every one of the festive events can be successfully celebrated so that May, in Los Realejos, can once again be an exemplary place of tradition and civility.”