Festive ‘carpets’

Almeria’s main thoroughfare, the Paseo de Almeria, was transformed into a vibrant display on Saturday, May 4.

The centrepiece was a 60-metre-long sawdust carpet in honour of the Virgin of Fatima. This artistic display is borrowed from Tijola’s acclaimed May 12 celebrations.

Maria del Mar Vazquez, Almeria’s mayor, along with tourism officials and local dignitaries, toured the colourful installation.

Vazquez expressed her delight, stating that Almeria is a city that ‘receives traditions and culture from other places. We always have open arms because we are a hospitable city and even more so with a sister municipality, like Tijola and its sawdust carpets on the occasion of the Virgin of Fatima.’

This cultural collaboration aims to spotlight Tijola’s festival, which gained recognition as an Andalucian Tourist Interest event in 2023. It also serves to unify Almeria province around its rich traditions and diverse celebrations.

The event included traditional local cuisine, with offerings of ‘cuerva’ and paella, alongside stalls featuring Almanzora Valley’s finest gastronomy.

Maria del Mar Lopez, a provincial representative, emphasised the commitment to promoting local culture: ‘One of our great objectives as an institution lies in defending, disseminating and disseminating what makes us unique and different, such as our way of understanding life or celebrations as genuine as that of the Virgin of Fatima de Tijola.’