The Fiestas Committee finalizes the commemorative program for the 284th anniversary of the Trobada de la Mare de Déu

The Committee of Festivities Major Patronals of Benidorm, in collaboration with the Department of Festivities, is these days finalizing the program with which the city will commemorate March 16 the 284th anniversary of the Trobada de la Mare de Déu del Sofratge . The councillor of Fiestas, Mariló Cebreros, and the vice president of the Commission, Alfonso Segarra, have announced this Friday some of the events that will be held, which will begin next Monday, March 4, with the opening of the XXI Contest Drawing and Painting School organized by La Barqueta Cultural and Recreational Association and which can be visited at Casa del Fester.

“We have some very intense days ahead of us to commemorate this very important day for Benidorm and its Festivities,” highlighted the councillor of the department, who has also invited citizens to “go out into the streets to celebrate this anniversary of the arrival of the patron saint of our beaches” and has been convinced that this year, as the bulk of the program coincides with the weekend, “attendance will be massive.”

As previously stated, the kick-off event for the program will be the La Barqueta School Drawing and Painting Contest. Next, on Saturday, March 9, at 8 p.m., the ACR La Barqueta Rondalla concert will take place in the San Jaime and Santa Ana church. On Sunday, March 10, at 11:30 a.m., it will take place the concert of the symphonic band of the Unión Musical de Benidorm, in the Plaza Mayor.

Mariló Cebreros has indicated that on Friday, March 15, the Assembly Hall of the Benidorm City Council will host the awards ceremony for the XXI Drawing and Painting Contest, starting at 6:00 p.m.

One day later, on Saturday, March 16, the central events of this commemoration will take place, as the councillor has highlighted. The day will start at 5:10 in the morning, with the concentration in the Plaza de San Jaime to await the “arrival” of the Virgin of Suffrage to the town of Benidorm, which will be followed at 5:30 by the opening of the doors of the Church of Sant Jaume and Santa Anna where a thunderous aerial bombardment will be fired, along with the ringing of bells and chants. Next, the L'Alba procession will begin, with which the image of the Mare de Déu will travel through the streets of the old town, and visit the three beaches: Levante, Poniente and Mal Pas, to end again at the church, with the traditional verses to the Virgin recited by Carmela Soria Martínez.

At 7:30 a.m., the Thanksgiving Mass will begin, officiated by Juan Antonio González, parish priest of the church, and at the end, a popular breakfast will be offered in the Plaza San Jaime. Later, at noon, there will be the general ringing of the bells in the Church of San Jaime, to close the morning events.

The afternoon program will start at 4:45 p.m., with the gathering at the Casa del Fester to begin the parade with the Major and Children's Queens of the Major Patronal Festivals, their Major and Children's Courts of Honor, president of the Commission, Standard Bearer and family, Mayorales de Honor, Mayorales, Asociación de Peñas Virgen del Sufragio, and the town of Benidorm. At 5:15 p.m. There will be a meeting of the entire procession with the image of the Mare de Déu del Sofratge at the headquarters of the ACR La Barqueta, which will join the parade to tour the streets, Tomas Ortuño, Carrasco, Ruzafa, Paseo de la Carretera and Parque from Elche.

From there, at 6:00 p.m., the Solemn Pilgrimage will begin, headed by the image of the Mare de Déu del Sofratge and which will tour Paseo de la Carretera, Alameda del Alcalde Pere Zaragoza Orts, Calle Mayor and Plaza de San Jaime. Upon arriving at the Church, the Offering of Flowers will be made to the Virgin of Suffrage. After the offering of flowers, the child queen, Laia Zamora Picó, will recite the verses written by Vicenta Pérez Bayona, Cuqui, dedicated to the patron saint, after which the eldest queen, Valentina Almodóbar Climent, will address a few words. Next, the mayor of Benidorm, Toni Pérez, will close the event, after which a castle of fire will be fired from the Plaza de la Senyoria.

Finally, on Sunday, March 17, at noon, the High Mass will be celebrated in honour of the patron saint, presided over by the parish priest of the church of Sant Jaume and Santa Anna, Juan Antonio González, and sung by the parish choir. After the Eucharist, the Standard Bearer of 2024, Mr. Vicente Fuster Pérez, and the new honorary mayors will be named.