On the 30th of May 1983 The Canary Islands officially became an autonomous region of Spain when The Government of The Canary Islands parliament sat for the first time. The day has been marked ever since by all 88 municipal town halls of the seven island from the two provinces that make up the region as an official celebration of all things Canarian.
A bank holiday here on the islands, most people enjoy a day off spent mainly with friends and family, often enjoying folk music, the enormous range of cheeses produced here and of course the two primary tiples of choice Rum (which many suspect was originally distilled on these islands, long before the sugar first grown here had been transplanted across the ocean) and some of the wide range of volcanic wines that are produced here.
You can expect nearly every authentic town or village to have some sort of public event happening, with locals dressed in traditional clothing and performing folk dances as well as tastings of local produce among other attractions. Of course as tourism has long been the primary focus of the economy here you´ll also find representations of traditional foodstuffs like gofio, potatoes, cheeses, mangoes, avocados, mojos rojo and verde and many items besides on display in hotels and tourist information centres.
Well worth heading up in to the mountains, though remember the further you stray from the resorts, the less likely you are to find shops open, or buses running, unless of course you happen upon one of the large Centro Comercial Shopping Centres who will remain open to take advantage of an extra shopping day for the general public.
Here are just some of the options to celebrate this Canaries Day on the 29th and on Wednesday, the 30 May, which is also a bank holiday here on the Canary Islands.
LAS PALMAS DE GRAN CANARIA
On Tuesday 29th May, the surroundings of Plaza de Santa Ana in the historical old town center of Vegueta is filled with traditional games, children’s theater, parades with traditional papaguens, artisans and the best gastronomy and produce from around the island between 17:00 & 20:00. Later taken over by the traditional folk music with a broad program of events planned by the Island Government, the Cabildo de Gran Canaria, with the collaboration of the Las Palmas City Council to celebrate Canary Islands Day in the captial.
For children from 17:00-19:30 in Plaza del Pilar Nuevo, traditional games and a theatrical and musical show ‘La ratita presumida’.
At 18:30 a colorful and lively parade with the popular Banda de Agaete and the papagüevos, the parade will depart from Parque San Telmo to Plaza del Pilar Nuevo and conclude at the Plaza de Santa Ana, where the Cabildo have prepared tents offering artisanal products and Canarian gastronomy until midnight.
The music will begin in Santa Ana at 20:00 with the performance of a group entirely made up of women, Encantadoras. This Gran Canaria formation have been a big part of the popular music scene on the islands for more than ten years.
At 21:15 some of the best folk music soloists in the Canary Islands are performing and at 22:30 “Efecto Pasillo” band.
Finally, at midnight, there will be the spectacular end of party with the explosion of thundering fireworks that will illuminate the Vegueta night to close the celebration on the eve of the Canary Islands Day.
Wednesday, 30th May “paseo romero”, a traditional procession from 12:00–16:00 in Las Palmas, which last year saw around 20.000 participating.
The route goes from Parque Santa Catalina – calle Luis Morote – calle Sagasta – calle Tenerife – calle Agustín Millares Sall to Plaza de la Luz.
At the end, around 14:30,there will be a a concert and a street parade with the band (Charanga) with big Papier-mâché dolls which will process along the Avenida de Las Canteras, to the Mercado del Puerto and various streets of the neighborhood La Isleta.
The network of island museums of the Cabildo de Gran Canaria (Casa de Colón, the Pérez Galdós House Museum, Tomás Morales, León y Castillo, Antonio Padrón-Center for Indigenous Art and the Cueva Pintada Archaeological Museum and Park), all celebrate Canary Islands Day with an open day on Wednesday, May 30, to enjoy various temporary exhibitions and permanent museographic content.
Casa de Colón: 10:00-15:00,
Pérez Galdós House-Museum: 10:00-18:00,
Tomás Morales House-Museum (Moya): Hours: 10:00 -18:00
Antonio Padrón House-Museum. Centro de Arte Indigenista (Galdar): 10:00 -18:00.
León-Castillo House-Museum (Telde): 10:00 -18:00,
Cueva Pintada Museum and Archaeological Park (Gáldar): 11:00-18:00. Last guided tour at 16.30
Mogán has prepared various activities to celebrate Canary Islands Day. In Arguineguin on the 29th between 18:00-22:30, at Plaza Pérez Galdós; a living exhibition of various traditional artisan work, a tribute to the palm artist , Pino Lorenzo Correa, folk music and dancing.
And then in Playa de Mogan on the 30th a concert at 20:00 by Rios de Lava at Plaza Dr. Pedro Betancor León.
Angry Birds Activity Park in Puerto Rico has celebrations in Pirate style to celebrate Canary Islands Day in Pirate style. From 10:00-18:00
San Bartolomé de Tirajana
With the patron saint festivities for San Fernando going on and the main Day of festivities also being the 30th, there is to be a solemn eucharist at 11:30 followed by a religious procession carrying the image of San Fernando.
At 13:30 a fish barbeque at the Colegio Maspalomas I and then a big party at 14:00.
A mass at 19:00 and Canarian Day festivals at 21:00 at Plaza de San Fernando
Santa Lucia is celebrating Canarias Day in Plaza de Los Algodoneros on Avenida de Canarias from 10:00-14:00
Program for Wednesday 30 May
From 10.00: Exhibition of Traditional clothing of Gran Canaria s. XVIII-XIX
10.00 Workshops with artisans of the municipality.
10.00 Exhibition of traditional games and sports. Canarian Wrestling, Pastor’s Salto, Plow Lifting, Stone Raising, Garrote Fighting, and Canarian Ball.
10.00 Performance of the folklore students
11.00 Zanga card game
11.00 Performance of the Achimencey group.
12.00 Pella de Gofio preparation workshop kneaded with Zurrón.
12.30 Performance of the Amor Canario Folkloric Group
