The Mediterranean Diet Fair “will grow and, in a way, move”, more precisely, extend to even more places. The event dedicated to the cuisine and culture of the Mediterranean will once again animate Tavira between the 3rd and 6th of September and will have many new features in this 3rd edition.
In addition to having one more day than the second edition, the Fair will spread to more places in the historic area of the City of Tavira. In this way, the problems associated with the «growing pains» of the event are solved, which attracted many people to the venue on the edge of Gilão, so many that it was almost always full.
In 2015, in addition to Praça da República, Rua do Cais and adjacent garden and Rua Jacques Pessoa, on the other side of the river, the enclosure will spread uphill to the Castelo de Tavira area, and will be based in other camps. squares and squares, in addition to animating some emblematic spaces in the city, such as churches and the Clube de Tavira.
All so that the «thousands of visitors» expected at the event can walk more at ease. "Last year we did everything downtown and realized that if we had twice as much space, we would have twice as many people", illustrated the mayor of Tavira Jorge Botelho at the presentation of the 3rd edition of the fair, which took place this Monday.
“We want to better distribute visitors throughout the central area of the city. It makes perfect sense to associate this Fair with the history and heritage of Tavira», he explained.
The main novelty in this field is the relocation of the Praça da Convivialidade, the space where visitors can sit and taste some pearls of Mediterranean cuisine, to the Palácio da Galeria Park, in the vicinity of the Castle of Tavira.
“A tent will be set up, where four restaurants will be installed. There will also be musical entertainment on site», announced the mayor of Tavir.
Those who want to taste Mediterranean cuisine can also do so in one of the 24 restaurants in the historic center that have joined the event and will offer special menus», he described.
In order to circulate through the different spaces of the Fair, the signage will be reinforced by "direction lines", which will be marked by "walkways or carpet". "There will also be artisans along the way, as well as special lighting," added Jorge Botelho.
The younger ones will also have an area specially dedicated to them in Largo de Dona Ana, because, according to Jorge Queiroz, head of the Division of Culture, Heritage and Museums at Câmara de Tavira, «the heritage of the Mediterranean Diet must be passed on to the children. younger".
Largo do Brincar offers the traditional games that had already been present in the second edition of the Fair, brought by the Toy Museum, and adds several workshops, which will teach, among other things, how to build windmills, matraphone dolls, puppets and rag balls. There will also be puppet shows. The chosen location “has shade and does not have the risk of passing cars”.
Also new is the inclusion of the 1st International Slowmed Festival at the Mediterranean Diet Fair. This initiative, organized by the In Loco association, will take place on the 4th, 5th and 6th of September and will make known the culture and gastronomy of six countries in the Mediterranean basin.
Of the many activities provided for in the festival's program, the highlight is the holding of a fusion cuisine contest and gastronomic demonstrations, where Slowmed project partners, coming from Portugal, Italy, Spain, Egypt, Palestine and Lebanon, will give the get to know an emblematic traditional dish.
In Loco is, moreover, one of the ten partners that join efforts to make the Mediterranean Diet Fair take place. In 2015, there are three new entities that help organize the event, the Regional Directorate of Culture of the Algarve, the University of Algarve and Tavira Verde.
They join the seven partners that were already part of the organization, namely the Câmara de Tavira, the CCDR do Algarve, the Regional Directorate of Agriculture and Fisheries, the Algarve Tourism Region, Activa Tavira, the Hotel and Tourism School of VRSA and In Loco.
More space and more days mean even more activities
The expansion, both in terms of the duration of the event and the space dedicated to it, will bring “more activities and entertainment”. In this field, the program is vast and diverse. In addition to gastronomy, local products and handicrafts, central elements of the Fair, there is music and cultural entertainment, as well as seminars on a wide range of topics, as well as scientific activities.
The musical poster will feature well-known artists such as Vitorino and Ricardo Ribeiro, who will be accompanied by the Lebanese Rabih Abou-Khalil, with whom he had a collaboration that the Portuguese fado singer confesses that deeply marked him. Gonçalo Pescada, Pedro Mestre and the choral group «Campaniça do Despique».
From across borders come other bands and artists, including Juan Santamaria (fado and flamenco), Chekara (flamenco andalusi) and Jordi Molina and Perepau Jimenez (Catalan music). Theatre, traditional Portuguese music and dances from around the world are other suggestions on the 3rd Mediterranean Diet Fair program, which can be consulted, in full, here.
The growth of the fair, at various levels, forced “an increase in investment” by the ten partners. "Among them all, the financial effort will certainly amount to 250 thousand euros", revealed Jorge Botelho, who specifies that the Câmara de Tavira will invest 160 thousand euros in the event. “It should be noted that this event is held as part of a candidacy for PO Algarve 21 and that a good part of the money comes from community funds, it is not just the municipality's money”, he stated.
What will not change is the number of exhibitors present in the Producers, Gastronomy and Tourism Market: 120. «We sought a stabilization in relation to last year. We don't want to take steps bigger than our legs», said Jorge Queiroz.
Mediterranean diet already makes a difference in the Algarve
Tavira is already taking dividends from the status of representative community of the application of the Portuguese Mediterranean Diet for Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, approved by UNESCO at the end of 2013. «The effects are already being felt, in traditional commerce, but mainly in the sector of restoration. There has been a great evolution in this last field, not only with new restaurants, but with the requalification of others that already existed», said the mayor of Tavira.
The president of RTA Desidério Silva also says that the effort that Algarve Tourism has been making in promoting the region's gastronomy, culture and natural wealth, inside and outside its doors, is already palpable. «A few days ago a businessman from Aljezur told me that, in 2015, the month of May was his August. This is already a reflection of the work we have been doing», he believes.
The application process of the Mediterranean Diet for World Heritage and what was done after its approval also makes a difference, believe the different partners of this Fair. This is because there has been a combination of efforts to carry out the event, a sign of harmony between regional entities that you don't often see in the Algarve.
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