This year, Festivities during the First Sunday of May will enhance again respect and promotion of the most traditional elements of Santa Eulària des Riu Municipality. At the same time, the formula of multiple concerts aimed at promoting the music scene of the island will be repeated while having an honorary guest from outside Eivissa. In this case it will be the Canarian Band “Efecto Pasillo“ headlining the concerts that will take place in España Square and Sant Jaume street.
The celebrations will begin this weekend with proposals such as “Fira d’Estocs” (Fair of Stocks), Book Day, Sant Ciriac School 50th Anniversary (all this on Saturday) or Earth Day (on Sunday). An intense weekend that will be followed, along next week, by Puig de Missa Poetry Contest Award Ceremony and the presentation of a volume on the traditional toponymy in Santa Eulària Municipality developed by the “Institut d’Estudis Eivissencs.”
The presentation of another book (‘M’agrada tot de mi’, by Paula Torres, on Thursday 27th in the Municipal Library), storytellers for children and adults, a “Family Concert” by the Municipal Band and different sports tournaments will take place until the entry of May.
On Wednesday 3rd, one of the most linked to tradition encounters will be repeated. It is about the Pilgrimage to the “Creu d’en Ribes”, a little hermitage located in one of the hills which border the town of Santa Eulària and which creation is connected, according to the legend, to a demonic intervention.
On Friday 5th, the great Festivities weekend will kick-start with the solemn ceremony awarding the Gold Medal and the Xarc Awards, from 20:00h and on, in España Theatre. This year it was unanimously approved by the plenary the granting of the maximum award granted by Santa Eulària des Riu City Council to the “workers” of the five parishes as a tribute to the traditional role of this figure but also for the work they are currently doing in maintaining traditions and collaborating with altruistic activities. It was also approved to grant the Xarc Award to “Es Terc” shop and bar, in Puig d’en Valls; the “Atlético Jesús”; Santa Gertrudis Caramellers local troupes; Antonio Marí Marí, regular contributor with cultural and social activities in Sant Carles and Es Canar; and the “Club de la Moto Clàssica d’Eivissa i Formentera”.
‘Non stop’ Music
The main weekend of the Festivities will begin with the Gold Medal Ceremony. So, on Saturday you will be able to start enjoying the traditional exhibition of cars and agriculatural machinery in “S’Alamera”, the flowers and plants exhibition in España Theatre or the exhibitions of classic vehicles in different streets of the centre.
Concerts will also come. Altogether, between Saturday and Sunday 14 formations will be performing in the two enabled stages, the main one in España Square and a sencondary one in Sant Jaume Street. Louie Lion, Sandey Valley, Simple Rock, Trumpet&Cello, Broken G and Vinnie Dollar, DJ José Día, DJ Torres and DJ Lázaro will participate in the first session from 12:00h.
These local formations will be followed by the Ibizan “Discover” Band and David Oleart, who will prepare the atmosphere for “Efecto Pasillo” performance from 21:30h, on Saturday. For the last 12 years, the Canarian Band has been one of the coolest and most original formations of the pop national music, with several top hits as ‘Chacho’ or ‘Pan y mantequilla’ and a great number of first level collaborations with artists such as “Leire Martínez (La Oreja de Van Gogh)”, “Funambulista”, “La Pegatina”, “Huecco”, “Despistaos” or “O’funquillo”, among others.
DJ Coto and DJ Sendic, both will close the day, but not the concerts series, which will continue the next day again with a selection of local groups that includes The Moonshine Band, Rottowatts, Joan Barbé Group DJ and Rubens, DJ Efrain and DJ Igor Marijuan.
Sunday, May 7th concentrates the main activities among which are the adorned carts and vintage vehicles parades, as well as the spectacle of Menorcan dressage. Late in the afternoon the descent of the Virgin of the Rosary will take place from Puig de Missa to Lourdes Chapel.
Activities won’t finish here, because the festivities program lasts until June. So, there will be different sports activities such as the Miniultraswim on May 22nd or the Ultraswim on June 3rd , Barruguet Festival will take place between May 20th and 26th, several exhibitions and concerts, the pilgrimage and the subsequent open-air mass in the “Església Vella” or the EcoUc Fair about environmental awareness on June 3rd , among others.
