FiraCalpe2024 closed its doors yesterday after four days of intense activity, the 14th Calpe Trade and Gastronomy Fair received some 15,000 visitors over the four days of the event.
A total of 42 exhibitors took part in this edition, 12 more than last year - 34 catering establishments and eight shops - and two associations also took part: the Fishermen's Guild with the promotion of "Peix de Calpe" and the Association of Moors and Christians Santíssim Crist de la Suor with the management of the drinks bar. The catering establishments offered a total of 84 different tapas with prices ranging from 4 to 7 euros.
For the first time yesterday, Sunday, the Day of Commerce was held to give the opportunity to participate in the fair to those businesses that cannot be present during the four days of the event. Twelve shops took part in this initiative.
On Sunday, organised by the Fishermen's Guild and AEMCO with the collaboration of the Town Hall and Creama-Calpe, the second edition of the White Prawn Tapa Competition was held. 9 restaurants took part in this competition in which the public could vote for the best tapa. The winner of the competition was the restaurant Remo with the tapa "Tiradito de gamba blanca con aji amarillo peruano, toques cítricos y frambuesas frescas" (white prawn tiradito with Peruvian aji amarillo, citrus touches and fresh raspberries). Among all the people who participated in the voting, three vouchers of 20 euros will be raffled to shop at the fish market of the Fishermen's Guild of Calpe.
Also yesterday took place the third edition of the Solidarity Cut, a total of 7 hairdressers with 13 hairdressers cut hair and raised 875 € for the Alicante Association for the Fight Against Cancer local branch of Calpe. The participating hairdressers were Pastor Peluqueros, Pastor Peluqueros Unisex, Auraya Peluquería y Estética, Morató Peluqueros, La peluquería de Abdul, Rosas Peluqueros and Le Studio By Vanessa Uzquiano.
In addition to all this, there will be an extensive programme of activities throughout the fair, with games for children, performances by orchestras and groups, including Los Inhumanos, dance exhibitions by local schools, musical performances by local organisations, cocktail and wine tasting workshops, workshops on healthy habits and book signings.
On the other hand, on the occasion of the centenary of the Fishermen's Guild, Calpe Town Council, in collaboration with the Guild, distributed free copies of the story "The Adventures of Delfo, Lucia and Sebas in Calpe", by Marina Belliure and Paco Catalá, which aims to raise awareness among children about the importance of fishing and keeping the seas free of plastics.
The Councillor for Commerce and Economic Dynamization, Paqui Solivelles, has made a very positive assessment of the development of the fair: "the event has been a success, all participating restaurants, shops and establishments have been very satisfied with how the fair has been organized and developed, and the general public has told us how pleased they are with the various performances and parallel activities. We can say that this edition of FiraCalp has been a complete success".