Report made by Loreto Socorro
June arrives with Canarian hand in hand with the Southeast Fair. On Thursday, June XNUMX, the seventeenth fair begins, on Avenida de Ansite del Cruce de Arinaga (Agüimes-Gran Canaria).
This will be the first of two fairs for 2022 – at the end of the year, Santa Lucía de Tirajana will host another new Fair, in November- But the one in June promises, and according to Óscar Hernández Suárez -mayor of Agüimes- «The Cruce de Arinaga fair is highly trained».
When something is excellent, it is never too much, so returning to the fair that could not be enjoyed in 2020 was a good decision. «The acceptance of the events held in the commercial areas of Agüimes has been surprising -says Cati Suárez Suárez, Councilor for Employment, Local Development, Commerce and Tourism of Agüimes- and this encourages us to continue supporting. The desire of the people is an incentive for the sectors that have been hardest hit by the crisis, such as crafts.»
This year you can visit one hundred and fifty stands, apart from the institutional one. Each municipality of the southeast association has increased its representation from thirty-eight to fifty stalls, each with artisans and producers from the agri-food sector of Ingenio, Santa Lucía and Agüimes.
For Óscar Hernández -mayor- the most important thing is to continue maintaining the guarantee of security at the fair, at all levels. «When it came to organizing, the break made us value the meeting spaces -explains Hernández, with kindness and closeness- as a fundamental part of the activities that are regulated by the municipalities. Our will is to continue with the fairs because we appreciate the desire to enjoy them».
To get to start a fair of this type there is a lot of invisible effort. The three councils work together and well in advance, coordinated by the manager of the association of the southeast (Rafael Sánchez). They are months negotiating: stand reservations, holding meetings with artisans, farmers and ranchers; in addition to designing the security plan, preparing the necessary infrastructure and coordinating with other stakeholders from all sectors.
«The possibility of holding the fair in March had been considered, then the intention was to move it to June, at the fairgrounds -Oscar tells us- but it could not be finished in time and it is done again in the street».
After a week of intense work, the avenue will change its usual traffic for stands that promise delight. Parking areas for visitors and other facilities have been set up so that visiting the Cruce de Arinaga is a walk to the heart of the artisan product of the southeast.
Those of us who go to the fair as consumers have the opportunity to taste products and meet the people behind them. This is the objective for which those who have spent seventeen years betting on rapprochement between consumers and producers are working: «It is about making visible to achieve, more than ever, a cover letter that energizes these productive sectors»Hernandez comments. «Meetings of this type are a magnificent showcase of the variety, quantity and quality of what we generate in the region. Our products have nothing to envy to any other of any gourmet club. Then comes the ingenuity of those who use them and transform them at the table, to enjoy them»
«The fair always liked and now with more desire to enjoy» -Cati Suárez speaks to us with enthusiasm and passion for what is to come. «All sectors are made known and it is an opportunity for those who participate for the first time. This year there are eight new artisans in Agüimes, young or newly incorporated and, really, with much to give for their quality»
To speak of the fair in the southeast is to recognize the quality of some star products of our land: «I like everything as a star product. Everything has quality. My children -Cati Suarez speaks- they would buy everything they see in the craft stands... perhaps olive oil: it has gone up in price, oil in general, and ours is of excellent quality and can be consumed without any problem».
Both mayors invite those who want to meet or reconnect with the products of the southeast, to come to the Arinaga Crossing. Surely they will also be surprised by the program of side acts, which are going to be pure fun and for all ages. At this year's fair, in Agüimes, there will be a party flavor with Tania Gil, La Trova, gastronomic samples, exhibition of traditional games, and the new Cancionero, designed to publicize the history of Gran Canaria in the form of a game. During the weekend, the joy will continue with the Gofiones, Screensavers, Yeray Rodriguez and Los Sabandeños.
Participating in this fair and sharing will bring you a lot of joy and although there are other events during the weekend, you can always take time to get to know this fair first-hand, because it will be an enjoyment that you will love..
Link to programming: 17 Fair of the Southeast Crossing of Arinaga 2022
