The 31st Mussel and Cockle Festival in Vilanova de Arousa (Pontevedra, Galicia) opened its doors today with the inauguration of the food tent in Plaza de O Castro. The space has been expanded to accommodate up to 600 diners per sitting in response to public demand. The event runs until Sunday 10 August and features a host of cultural and leisure activities.
From 12 noon onwards, diners began to form long queues to purchase their tickets and taste the different mussel and cockle dishes that will be available to visitors between today and Sunday 10 August. The audience included both foreigners and tourists from different parts of Spain.
The official opening ceremony was presided over by the mayor of Vilanova, Gonzalo Durán, and the Regional Minister of Culture, Language and Youth, José López. Also participating in the ceremony were Agustín Reguera, regional delegate of the Xunta in Pontevedra; Lara Meneses, Director General of Youth; Romina Fernández, Director of Tourism for the Provincial Council of Pontevedra; Nava Castro, provincial deputy for Tourism in Pontevedra, and her counterparts in Environment and Sea, Marcos Guisasola, and in Demographic Challenge, Youth, Rural Development and Culture, Jorge Cubela; Sabela Fole, vice-president of the Mancomunidad del Salnés, and Javier Tourís, deputy mayor of Vilanova and provincial deputy, as well as other local representatives.
Record attendance forecast
In his speech, Gonzalo Durán highlighted the steady increase in attendance from across the country that the Vilanova de Arousa Mussel and Cockle Festival has seen in recent years. For this reason, ‘we expect to continue breaking attendance records at this year’s festival.’ In fact, he pointed out that ‘these days we welcome people from all over the world, even from New Zealand. And all this is thanks to the work done to promote this town, which, for us, is paradise.’
For his part, José López praised the quality of the local gastronomic products, as well as the extensive programme of events. ‘There is nothing more appropriate than coming to Vilanova de Arousa and enjoying one of our most typical products, which identifies us so much in the rest of the world, namely mussels,’ he said. The regional minister highlighted the importance of this type of celebration, as ‘they project the image of Galicia, where traditional production and modernity coexist’.
Nava Castro echoed this sentiment, stating that the event ‘positions Rías Baixas in the tourism sector.’ This is even more so in the case of Vilanova de Arousa, which is the ‘mussel capital’ of the autonomous community.
Finally, Javier Tourís recalled the extensive programme of activities that will be offered during this ‘big week in Vilanova’, through a celebration that extols a product that represents ‘60% of the GDP of a municipality that is the leading port for mussel unloading in Europe’. Precisely for this reason, there is a commitment to the continuity and promotion of an event that this week will offer ‘a multitude of activities’ with which they hope to attract thousands of attendees.
Eight delicious options
The food tent will be open until Sunday from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Tickets for the different dishes can be purchased at the two ticket offices located next to the tent.
As for the offerings, eight different dishes will be available to the public at affordable prices, ranging from €5 to €14. Steamed mussels, mussels in vinaigrette, and tiger mussels; steamed cockles; corn and Galician empanadas; mussel croquettes, seafood paella, and octopus a la feria make up the delicious menu.
Bargains and music
With the gastronomic marquee as the focal point until Sunday, the programme for the 31st Mussel and Cockle Festival in Vilanova de Arousa will continue tomorrow with the opening, at 10 am, of the 21st Local Trade Bargain Fair, organised by the Vilanova Centro Association. A total of 22 stands will be set up on Avenida de O Recheo, where all kinds of items can be purchased at bargain prices.
In the evening, the Panorama Orchestra will perform in O Cabo Park at 11 p.m. Admission is free and thousands of people are expected to attend.
Saturday will be dedicated to tradition. On the one hand, there will be a maritime procession in honour of the Virgin of Carmen, which will leave the Church of San Cipriano at 7 pm and then make its way along the estuary at 7.30 pm. In the evening, the Milladoiro group will perform at 10 pm in the Plaza de O Castro.
Big day
Sunday 10 August will be the big day of the 31st Mussel and Cockle Festival in Vilanova de Arousa. Music will take centre stage with a parade by the Mekánika Rolling Band, followed by the opening speech and the presentation of the Gold and Diamond Insignias. The celebration will end with a performance by Roi Casal in the Jardín Umbrío at 9 p.m.
All the information about the 31st Vilanova de Arousa Mussel and Cockle Festival can be found on the website www.festadomexillon.com, as well as on the event’s Facebook and Instagram profiles. This celebration is made possible thanks to the support of the Xunta de Galicia, the Pontevedra Provincial Council and Abanca.