Arrecife celebrated this Wednesday, February 22, the last day of the Arrecife Carnival 2023 with the burning of the sardine on El Reducto Beach, which put the finishing touch to the Arrecife carnival celebrations.
The City Council points out that "after one of the most impressive carnival parades in memory with the participation of more than 20,000 people, this Ash Wednesday came the time to say goodbye to the festivities with the celebration of the funeral procession that marks the end of Carnival and the beginning of Lent."
The closing party took place from 6:00 p.m. with the traditional Burial of the Sardine that departed from the Arrecife City Council to the Maritime Park, with the participation of murgas, comparsas, batucadas, floats and grieving masquerades, culminating with the Great Burning of the Sardine on the Reducto Beach, thus putting the finishing touch to one of the most celebrated Arrecife carnivals of recent years.
The figure of the sardine became, obviously, the center of the celebration. The protagonist of the day, transferred on a platform decorated for the occasion, was escorted by "Los Simplones", the group chaired by Mencey Curbelo and directed by Enrique Martín, who earned that honor after obtaining the first prize for "interpretation, lyrics and music" in the murga contest last Friday, February 17.
The decorated floats have been the protagonists of the last days of the carnival. Not in vain, in the contest that is held during the carnival parade, the platform with the fantasy "Se nos va la pinza" by José Daniel Perdomo Morales, was the winner of the contest followed by "Las enchantimals en carnaval", by Diego Guillén Guillén; and "El circo", by Omar Moriano Pérez.
As the afternoon progressed, the parade went through the Coll, La Marina and Fred Olsen avenues, to the sound of music, an essential component of the festival, with which the different carnival groups that participated in the procession -murgas, comparsas and batucadas- created an atmosphere of joy and fun difficult to describe. And together with them, "thousands of participants -about ten thousand, approximately- dressed in the usual costumes and elaborate make-up, creating a festive and joyful atmosphere."
Once the parade came to an end, the participants went to El Reducto beach where its burning took place in a large bonfire, constituting an impressive spectacle that attracted numerous spectators, both local and foreign, who chose to visit the city during the Carnival to be able to witness the celebration and enjoy the opportunity to learn about the local culture and the history of the third capital of the Canary Islands.
Meanwhile, the fireworks generated a vivid spectacle of light and sound that put the finishing touch to the party that, in this way, said goodbye until 2024.
