The Filloa Festival in Lestedo (Boqueixón-A Coruña) celebrated its 43rd edition (the second since it was declared an Festival of National Tourist Interest) with record attendance on a sunny day full of cultural and gastronomic activities. From early in the morning, the ‘filloeira’ machines worked tirelessly to prepare the quintessential Galician Carnival dessert, distributing more than 70,000 Filloas de Lestedo throughout the day.
The event, which attracts tens of thousands of visitors every year, involves more than 240 people from this town in Boqueixón in its organisation and running. Filloas de Lestedo, either plain or with sweet or savoury fillings, and even suitable for people with coeliac disease, are the main gastronomic offerings of this celebration, which seeks to cater to all audiences.
The dishes are more carefully prepared, especially since the festival was declared a Festival of National Tourist Interest. As a prelude, there are almost two weeks of activities that seek to highlight the versatility of the Lestedo Filloa in gastronomy through show cooking, pairing tastings and workshops for all ages and tastes.
Showcasing tradition
The official opening of the event, presented by actress María Mera, was presided over by the mayor of Boqueixón, Ovidio Rodeiro; the president of the Regional Government of Galicia, Alfonso Rueda; the sub-delegate of the Government in A Coruña, Julio Abalde; the deputy for Culture, representing the vice-president of the Provincial Council of A Coruña, Natividad González; the president of the Filloa de Lestedo Association, Juan Silva; and the announcer of the 43rd edition, Emilio José de la Iglesia Lema, director general of the Technical Office of the Presidency of the Regional Government of Galicia. They were accompanied by regional, provincial and local authorities, military officials and representatives of the state security forces, as well as representatives of various organisations. Among them were the Regional Ministers of the Presidency, Diego Calvo; Education, Román Rodríguez; and Culture, José Campos; and the spokesperson for the PP in the Galician Parliament, José Alberto Pazos.
In their speeches, all the authorities highlighted the work carried out by the people of Lestedo, who for 43 years have been organising a gastronomic celebration that maintains a tradition passed down from generation to generation and continues to be a success. Among the most recent successes, as the councillor pointed out, is “the sale of 5 million ONCE lottery tickets throughout Spain featuring the image of the Filloa Festival tomorrow, 23 February. This promotion will raise awareness of our municipality and our parish throughout of the country”, he said.
New Aprons of Honour
The president of the Filloa Association also highlighted this milestone in his speech, which recognises the work carried out by the citizens of Lestedo as a whole. As a token of gratitude for the publicity generated by the sale of raffle tickets, a sensory tasting was offered to members of ONCE, and the Apron of Honour of the Festival was presented to the director of the Agency in Santiago, José Antonio Riveiro.
The president of the Xunta de Galicia, the regional minister of Culture, the presidents of the San Bieito de Sergude and San Cidre parade associations, José Manuel Santos and Alejandro Pena, respectively, and the town crier himself have also joined this club. In his speech, Emilio José de la Iglesia Lema highlighted the work and unity of the residents of this small parish in Boqueixano, as well as the virtues of a product whose preparation has been passed down through the generations.
‘The Filloa de Lestedo is much more than a dish; it is a symbol of our culture and tradition,’ said the speaker. Precisely for this reason, the Xunta de Galicia is committed to gastronomic celebrations such as this one, which is among the dozen or so celebrations in Galicia declared Festivals of National Tourist Interest.
‘Atranques’ of Generals of the Ulla
Other highlights of the big day of the Fiesta de la Filloa de Lestedo featured the Generals of the Ulla, a traditional and unique carnival declared of Tourist Interest in Galicia. Around 40 horsemen and horsewomen gathered in Lestedo to take part in the IX Intermunicipal Parade through the streets of Lestedo at mid-morning.
The grand finale of the proclamation was provided by the Atranques de los Generales del Ulla, featuring six couples: Rebeca Rey and Noa Cernadas -as Correos-; Andrés Lareo and Iago de la Torre; José Canabal and Aroa Pena; Gerardo Canabal and Aroa Estévez, and Olaia Canabal and María Mera. Their songs, full of irony, included references to current affairs and the typical rivalries between parishes.
End of the musical festival
The 43rd Filloa Festival in Lestedo continued its programme with a new edition of the Cocido de la Filloa, twinned with the Cocido Fair in Lalín, which has been declared a Festival of International Tourist Interest. More than 350 diners attended this event, with all available places sold out days before the event took place.
Meanwhile, thousands of people took advantage of the opportunity to sample the different dishes made with Filloas de Lestedo at the Campo de la Fiesta. As an accompaniment, music played continuously throughout the day in this town: from performances by traditional groups from the Mestre Manuel Gacio Cultural Association, to the premiere of the afternoon session by Charanga BB+ and Grupo Ibiza, to the grand finale. This featured Grupo Origen and the París de Noia orchestra, which have already become a classic part of this celebration.
This brought two intense weeks of cultural, gastronomic and leisure activities to a close. In fact, this was the edition with the most activities ever organised, with several new features that are expected to continue in the coming years.
All the information about the Fiesta da Filloa de Lestedo can be found on the website www.festadafilloadelestedo.gal.
