The Valterra neighborhood will begin this weekend the patron saint festivities in honor of the Virgen del Carmen. The Arrecife City Council has sponsored the extensive program of events, organized directly by the Fiestas Commission. This Friday, July 14, Águeda Batista, a prominent athlete who resided during her childhood and youth in this seafaring neighborhood, and is currently a worker of the capital City Council, will read the proclamation.
The proclamation will be at 8:00 p.m. in the Valterra square. The mayor and the Councilor of Festivities have confirmed their attendance to this act of beginning of the festivities with seafaring flavor, in one of the historical neighborhoods of Arrecife.
Yonathan de León has highlighted that Arrecife was a port before being a city and capital, and has had in the fishing activity one of its main impulses as a city. For the mayor, Valterra symbolizes the coastal origin of Arrecife, and together with 'Porto Naos' this historical neighborhood of the city was founded, whose houses were built in the decade of the 50s of the last century XX. Valterra has been united to the patron saint of the people of the sea, remarked the first mayor of Arrecife. The mayor encourages the neighbors to join and participate in the events.
The deputy mayor and Councilor of Festivities, Echedey Eugenio, wants to thank the Fiestas Commission, the parish and the neighbors involved in the organization, and invites all the neighbors to participate in the program of events. "The festivities of the Valterra neighborhood are our first opportunity as responsible to demonstrate our commitment to the neighborhoods of the city," said the head of the Festivities Area.
Activities
After the reading of the proclamation, it will be the lighting of the Pipanazo and start of the festivities. Then, the Gaida Folkloric Group will perform, followed by the Concert of Los Magnéticos.
For Saturday, July 15, the Valterra square will host a playroom and children's workshop. There will also be a Children's Taekwondo exhibition by the Granbudo Club. And at night, the eve of the Day of Carmen, will be the Mecano Tribute show.
The celebration of the Day of Carmen, and subsequent land procession, will be on Sunday 16. The religious program of this day has the following events, and schedules:
- 07.00 hours. Rosary of the Aurora, departing from the Parish Temple.
- 19:00 hours. Solemn function in Honor of Our Most Holy Mother of Carmen in the Parish Temple.
- 20.00hours. Land procession, departing from the Parish Temple.
On Thursday, July 20, Pepe Benavente will perform, and the night will conclude with the celebration of the Valterra Song Festival, which throughout its history has hosted the birth of song figures on the island of Lanzarote.
Within the many activities, on Saturday, July 22, the Valterra square will host the "Day of Seafaring Pride", where attendees will be dressed in seafaring clothes. The Fiestas Commission has planned traditional games (bowling, spinning tops...) and children's workshop on Canarian pintaderas, a chess workshop, a skate workshop by the Cojinete Club.
The seafaring activity will be remembered with a children's workshop Create your painting of seafaring knots and a workshop for the tasting of gofio. The night of Saturday 22, will continue with the musical performance Mejor Con Copas, and a Drag Queen Gala Besos al Cielo, in homage to Dulce Suárez Morales.
On Sunday, July 23, will be the maritime procession with the image of the Virgen del Carmen, from the area of 'Porto Naos', with previous mass in the exteriors of the Insular Hospital of Lanzarote. The procession will conclude with the return of the image of the Virgin to the temple of Valterra, which this year commemorates the 45 years of its construction and opening to worship, on July 16, 1978.
With the creation of the parish, its initial masses were celebrated in the halls of the old Casa del Mar, today the building of the Valterra Health Center. The construction of its church dates from 1978,
