Yes, it was a good Town Festival (and that makes us happier)

It was a good Town Festival. This is the feeling hovering over the Commission, Festival Groups and the whole town. From the onset, the economic situation was an obstacle capable of impairing the splendor and brilliance that our largest Festival deserves and merits.But, just as in the case of previous festivals affected by budget cuts (Three Kings's Parade, Carnival, Corpus ...), the Town Festival easely overcame economic constraints, and showed that with less money and more imagination, it is also possible to celebrate top level events.

The efforts made by the Commission of the Town Festival and Santa Tecla, Festival Groups and organizations deserves our outright recognition. The dedication, patience and enthusiasm shown by the people that make the Town Festival, is one of the best elements that helps to understand why our Town Festival is really unique. Some of the formulas conceived by the Commission to obtain alternative income, while created at the same tieme new forms of participation and enjoyment of the Town Festival, had a remarkable acceptance. The group of more than 600 people that participated in the initiative "Fireworks in peace and quiet" are a living proof. The proposal launched by Friends of the Town Festival was also positive, with nearly 1,300 friends. It is a path that has future and that future editions can still elaborate on it.

On the negative balance, I can not avoid to mention incidents that took place the night of the Town Festival on the seafront. They were sad and worrying, not only for the violence that occurred, but for the threat that in represents for any resident of Sitges that wants to experience the festival with the proper civility. Such violent acts are not isolated or unique of Sitges, as many other cities have experienced similar problems this summer, but we must take note and know how to respond with appropriate action. We can not afford that Festivals (in this case, not only the Town Festival, but other local celebrations) ends up threatened by such events.

Once the Town Festival is in the past, we are wating that the calendar of festivities will takes us to the Verema (Wine Harvest), September 11 (which this year takes on a more significant stand due to the situation faced by the country and our collective aspirations) and Santa Tecla. Sitges expects a new cycle whose underlying principle is the same that we have applied to the Town Festival: effort and imagination to overcome adversity.

Photography of Marta Fontanals