The mayor of Vilanova de Arousa, Gonzalo Durán, has made a “very positive” evaluation of the 30th Mussel and Cockle Festival, held in the town between August 8 and 11, which “was a real record of people in the town and there were no other festivals that had attracted so many attendees. We are becoming more and more popular, and we see very big changes from one year to the next and, hopefully, it will continue like this in the years to come,” he said.
The pull effect of this food event is also associated with an important economic return in the town. In this sense, the Vilanova councillor highlighted “the income in the town’s establishments and the entire economy associated with tourism, whose benefits are also noticeable in the following months of the year.”
An aspect that was also mentioned by the deputy mayor and provincial deputy, Javier Tourís, who stressed that “occupancy during these days was at 100%, exceeding the data for 2023. From Thursday until Sunday night there was no possibility of booking in any restaurant or establishment in the town. Vilanova is in fashion,” he said.
With regard to the program itself, both Durán and Tourís declared that the gastronomic tent was one of the points of reference within the event. According to the first evaluation made by the organization of this space, the amount of mussels and cockles increased by 42% compared to the amounts used in the previous festival. The gastronomic tent hosted a daily average of just over 1,500 people, with Thursday, 8 August, and Sunday, 11 August, being the days with the greatest influx.
Boom in family tourism
Within the cultural program of the 30th Mussel and Cockle Festival, the activity that registered the largest number of attendees was the performance of the Panorama Orchestra. According to the data of the report issued by the Local Police of Vilanova, “more than 5,000 people filled the streets of the town, registering an important transfer of about 1,000 people from the campsites of O Terrón, who were walking along the promenade in family groups of mothers/fathers/children/grandparents in a context of absolute security.” Proof of the boom in family tourism in a municipality that has a wide range of leisure and services for all ages.
For its part, the traditional maritime procession in honour of the Virgen del Carmen brought together around 1,500 people, including both those who made the crossing by sea and those who observed the tribute to the saint from the pier. In fact, and as the A Pastoriza Guilde explained, “there were people who had to stay on land because there was no room on the boats.”
On Saturday night, the Plaza de O Castro welcomed about a thousand people who came both to delight their palates with the dishes of the gastronomic tent and to enjoy the concert Together for music, by Antonio Barros and Lis Pardo. An ideal opportunity to combine good food with cultural activities.
Satisfaction with the Opportunities Fair
Another of the central proposals of the 30th Mussel and Cockle Festival of Vilanova de Arousa was the 20th Fair of Opportunities. From the Vilanova Centro Shop Owners Association, they showed their satisfaction with the good results this year. “The busiest days were those of Friday and, above all, Sunday,” they explained.
In addition to taking the opportunity to renew their stock, the participating commercial establishments valued the provision of the toy library service very positively. “It was a success and favoured purchases,” concluded the Vilanova Centro Association.
Big day
The big day of the 30th Mussel and Cockle Festival was one with the most visitors. The weather conditions favoured many people coming to the town looking for an alternative to the beach and taking advantage of the wide range of proposals organized for that day.
The gastronomic tent exceeded the attendance figures with respect to the previous year and, during the festival’s opening speech, about a thousand people came to the Plaza del Castro. To these figures must be added the more than 1,000 people who enjoyed Roi Casal’s final concert in the Jardín Umbrío.