The program is set up to go out for a walk this weekend through the towns of the Atlántico department that have a varied gastronomic, cultural and tourist offer, full of flavor and music.
The event is in Pital de Megua, a district of the municipality of Baranoa, with its XXXII Cake Festival; to Luruaco with its XXXV Egg Arepa Festival; to Suan with the XXVII National and International Arts Festival; and in the district of Guaimaral, Tubará, the second version of the Frutos del Campo Festival.
The Government of the Atlantic, which promotes these festivals as a way of moving the economies in these localities, has called the tour of these festivals as ‘Route 23’, where tourists have the opportunity to learn about the knowledge and flavors of the traditional cuisines of the municipalities of the department, “an initiative that seeks to show the gastronomic and tourist richness of the Atlantic to consolidate it as a national and international tourist and gastronomic destination,” says the official statement from the Government.
Pital, stories wrapped in bijao leaves
Everything is ready so that starting tomorrow, June 28, the stoves of the Pital de Megua district, in Baranoa, will delight the palates of the thousands of visitors who come to this town that is already recognized for one of the most gastronomic events. highlights of the department, to the point that one of its cooks, Corsina Llanos, was the winner of the National Award for Ancestral Cuisines of the Ministry of Culture for the department of Atlántico in 2022.
The event, organized by the Pital de Megua Pastel Festival Foundation, headed by Andrea López Llanos, a legacy she inherited from her father and founder, Jorge López Nisperuza, seeks to safeguard culinary heritage and tradition as a historical, cultural and gastronomic reference. that identifies the pitalera population at the departmental and national level.
“According to my father, this festival began in 1993 as an idea raised in a daily gathering with his friends Libardo Patiño and Alfonso Escorcia, about what would be the typical product to make a festival given that our economy depended solely on the agriculture and, they decided that His Majesty would be the cake and we have been wrapping stories in bijao leaves for 32 years,” said López.
It is estimated that of the 2,800 inhabitants, which are equivalent to about 270 families in the township, between 90 and 100 family units are dedicated to the production of cake, the famous wrapper that is consumed throughout the country.
From 7:00 in the morning of June 28 until late at night on July 1, the main square of Pital de Megua welcomes nearly 20,000 visitors to this gastronomic fair where 56 midwives are direct beneficiaries of the Sabores associations. from Pital, Asomuhapas and Funfepas offer these delicacies in their different presentations, which this year has as an innovative product the exclusive recipe based on millet with smoked quail from the matron Corsina Llanos, which was awarded by the Ministry of Culture.
The festival will also feature cultural activities, folklore groups, live music and craft exhibitions. Cartagena singer Danny Daniel will be a special guest. It will be an opportunity to share special moments with the whole family.
Arepa e huevo, cultural and intangible heritage
In Luruaco, another of the gastronomic corners of the Atlantic, the Association of Producers of Arepas with Egg, Asopral, in order to strengthen its identity process and keep its gastronomic traditions alive, comes with a poster full of activities for the XXXV version of the Festival of the Arepa de Huevo 2024.
Starting at 10 a.m., the town square will host 70 matrons, bearers of the gastronomic tradition, who range in age from 25 to 80 years old.
The Secretary of Culture of Luruaco, Sirey Siado, pointed out that, from the Luruaco mayor’s office, with the support of the Atlantic Government, they seek to preserve this cultural and economic festival to boost tourism and strengthen, not only the entrepreneurship of midwives. , but also for the different actors who work around the egg arepa.
“Asopral has generated strategic alliances with the Secretariats of Culture and Heritage, Economic Development and Interior of the Atlántico Government; With this, we have managed to promote its gastronomic tradition massively to such an extent that our festival has been elevated to the category of Cultural and Intangible Heritage of the Atlantic, by improving the quality of life of its inhabitants and promoting ecotourism in the municipality,” said Siado.
The Festival will include exhibitions, product sales, an educational table, and contests such as the best tasting arepa in the traditional category, the innovative arepa, the multiform arepa, and the best fried food table of the festival, evaluated by expert judges in culinary arts, chefs, professional cooks, and journalists specialized in the subject. These will be, among other activities, the activities that will attract 10,000 attendees to taste the product and appreciate the varied artistic and cultural program that includes dance groups, vallenato and urban music, concerts, and snacks.
The arts in Suan de la Trinidad
From the south of the department comes the XXVII version of the National and International Arts Festival of Suan de la Trinidad 2024 within the framework of the 197 years of the municipality and in homage to Natalio Pacheco Fonseca, a living treasure that represents the cultural identity of the municipality for his contribution to the development and safeguarding of local heritage.
This contest, which has the support of the Mayor’s Office of Suan and the Government of Atlántico, will also be held in the central square of the town starting at 8:00 in the morning and calls for communion between the native and innovation , the traditions and the new generations, the religion and the customs of the municipality.
The coordinator of Suan Culture, Josimar Rivera, said that the participation of 2,000 artists on stage from different disciplines such as dance, plastic arts, theater, crafts, gastronomy and music from Bogotá, Casanare, Valle del Cauca and Caldas is planned. ; Likewise, with international talents from Mexico, Chile and Venezuela.
“During the four days of the festival, various cultural activities will also be presented, such as a discussion about the ‘Son de Pajarito’ troupe, cultural exchange workshops, a folkloric parade, a craft, gastronomic and peasant fair, and on this occasion we will take the festival to rural areas. due to the limitations of those sectors to move to the municipal seat. This initiative will allow all Suaneros to enjoy one of the most important artistic events in the Atlantic,” commented Rivera.
The Secretary of Culture and Heritage of the Atlantic, Verónica Cantillo, highlighted the importance of gastronomic and cultural festivals in the department because they not only contribute to the promotion of tourism, but also inject economic resources into the territories.
“Our festivals are becoming more and more national and even international references; such is the case of the Luruaco Egg Arepa Festival, declared Cultural and Intangible Heritage. For Governor Eduardo Verano, tourism and gastronomy are the perfect symbiosis to sell the Atlantic to the world and from the Governor’s Office we support the search for new experiences by the matrons and organizers that allow the creation and consolidation of tourist products in our department,” said Cantillo.
Take advantage and enjoy the fruits that the field offers
And to close with a flourish this ‘rain of festivals in the Atlantic’, the second version of the Festival Frutos del Campo will be held in Guaimaral, a district of Tubará, on June 29 and 30, with the participation of 30 midwives and 15 artisans.
The festival seeks to exalt and preserve rural traditions and knowledge, by highlighting the importance of local farmers and artisans. At the Farmers Market, visitors will be able to find products from crops such as corn, yuca, mango, banana, lemon and soursop; there will also be artisanal and gastronomic displays.
Festival organizers and local authorities will ensure full security in public spaces, with the presence of the Public Force and a contingency plan in each municipality.
