In an unprecedented announcement from the Cieza City Council, the Fair and Festivals in honor of Saint Bartholomew have been cancelled. The Cieza City Council and the Brotherhood of Saint Bartholomew, represented by Mayor Pascual Lucas and President Gema Sánchez, respectively, announced the cancellation at a press conference.
In an unprecedented decision in Cieza's recent history, Mayor Pascual Lucas announced this Thursday the cancellation of the Fair and Festivals in honor of Saint Bartholomew due to the pandemic. The decision had been widely anticipated in local circles since the implementation of the so-called 'new normal' revealed the impossibility of holding events and activities that bring together thousands of people. In his words, "It hasn't been an easy decision because the economic and social sectors of Cieza need this week of patron saint festivities, but we have to be realistic and responsible given the situation, and our main objective is to guarantee the health of our residents. Therefore, we cannot organize mass events that could cause infections."
The mayor's announcement to suspend the patron saint festivities has been met with understanding support from the Brotherhood of Saint Bartholomew, which considers it a "very courageous decision" because "the health of the citizens is paramount." This, at least, is the impression given by the statements made at a press conference by its president, Gema Sánchez, who expressed her support and respect for the Cieza City Council's decision. "We support and respect the municipal decision, although we want to inform you that we are considering holding only those activities organized by the brotherhood where safety measures can be met to celebrate Saint Bartholomew's Day, and we will announce these plans once they have received approval from the authorities."
Thus, Lucas delivered one piece of bad news and one piece of good news. Let's start with the good news, the one that justified the press conference at the Siyasa Museum, which was also attended by the councilors for Culture, Festivities, Education, Youth, and Museums—Melba Miñano, María Jesús López, María Ramos, Marta Sánchez, and Conchi Villa, respectively—as well as representatives from the town's social and cultural community: the 'Vera-Neo' program was presented, which will run from July 16 to September 22. The mayor enthusiastically praised the program, developed jointly by various municipal departments, which, in his opinion, "will somewhat fill the void left by the fair, as we are aware of its great importance to all residents."
Nevertheless, Cieza aims to join the ranks of the leading municipalities in the Region by offering a series of shows based on a most promising premise: to explore a program whose purpose extends beyond mere entertainment, becoming an important tool for revitalizing the city's economy. The events, scheduled at various venues, will kick off on July 23 with performances by El Kanka, followed by Martita de Graná (July 31), Revólver (August 8), Yllana Teatro (August 20 and 21), El Brujo (August 22), Ara Malikian (August 25), Comandante Lara & Cia (August 26), Áureo (August 28), Ketama (August 29), and Murcianos 2 (September 18).
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