Next Sunday marks fourteenth year of Intercultural Day in Sant Ferran

Presentacio festa interculturalThe Formentera Council’s office of social welfare has joined forces with the local group Associació de la Festa Intercultural to put on the fourteenth annual Intercultural Day. This morning, social welfare councillor Vanessa Parellada unveiled details in a press conference attended by head organiser Ángeles Martínez Canales and Associació president Manuel Londeiro.

In the words of Councillor Parellada, Sunday April 3rd, Intercultural Day will be the occasion for organizers to “deck out the Sant Ferran schools and celebrate the cultural variety of the countries and autonomous communities represented on Formentera”. Trumpeting Formentera’s claim as the most culturally diverse island in Spain – some 30 per cent of local residents were born abroad – Parellada stressed: “This isn’t just one day; this kind of diversity is an everyday reality on Formentera”.

Gastronomy and popular dance

The president of the organising group, who hailed Formentera as “both culturally diverse and very cosmopolitan”, says the idea behind the day is “to celebrate the cultural diversity we’ve got on the island”. Londeiro says the best way to do that is by “getting a taste of local gastronomy”. Martínez Canales announced the start of the party is slated for one midday, when things will get under way with fun children’s workshops. Kids will have the chance to make bookmarks with their name in Arabic and fancy-dress masks, get painted with henna, decorate mandalas and play games like Twister and musical chairs. There will also be bouncy inflatable castles.

Entry costs €4 and children under 12 get in free. Food samples will start at 2 p.m. and the day’s first folk and music performers are scheduled to take the stage a bit earlier. Participating countries and autonomous communities include Romania, Morocco, Colombia, Brazil, Cuba, Chile, Castilla La Mancha, Argentina, Dominican Republic, Indonesia, Equator, Bolivia, Germany, Galicia, Andalusia, Formentera and Valencia. In addition to contracting Martínez Canales part-time for three months to oversee organising duties, the Formentera Council helps pay for the day’s gastronomic samples by contributing €400 per country/community.

Run-off parking

Councillor Parellada reported that parking will be available on the future remodel site of the Sant Ferran schools and along the town’s connector road. Apologising for any inconvenience, the councillor explained that from tomorrow to Sunday the children’s play area at the school will be closed to allow for set-up. She also made the following request: “Please, come with plates and cutlery. We’ll provide biodegradable options for everything else”. Finally, she encouraged the entire island to come out in force on Sunday, ready to have fun.