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Julio J. Portabales
Cuevas Bajas
Friday, 29 November 2024, 15:47
December is about to arrive, and with this month comes the return of some winter traditions to the municipalities of Malaga province. In the case of the village of Cuevas Bajas, the arrival of this Christmas month means the start of the Fiesta de la Zanahoria Morá (the purple carrot festival), an event that this year will be celebrating a round number of anniversaries: 20 years since it was declared a unique festival of tourist interest in Malaga by the provincial authority (Diputación).
On 1 December Cuevas Bajas will dress up to commemorate this twentieth anniversary. This event, which has quintupled the population of the municipality on a regular basis, offers a varied programme of activities designed for all ages and tastes of visitors and village locals alike.
The celebrations will begin at 11am with the opening of the market in Calle Real, backed by a mural by artist Daniela Miazzo, which will narrate the adventures of Juanita La Morá and SúperZM, the rather unusual tourist ambassadors for the village.
The little ones also have a starring role in the festivities, where they will be able to enjoy children's workshops, face-painting with purple glitter and a virtual reality tournament called 'Catch Juanita'. The final phase of this virtual tournament will be projected onto a giant screen for the public to enjoy. In addition, for music lovers there will be parades and musical performances by Trío Gabanna and Requiebros, as well as a cooking demo and show by the cooks from Arxiduna restaurant, where attendees can sample some migas accompanied by purple carrots.
At 12 noon, the community will pay posthumous tribute to Francisco Artacho Jurado. Better known in the locality as Paco de la Huerta Primera, a key promoter and supporter of the cultivation of the 'zanahoria morá' in Cuevas Bajas last century, will have his moment in the limelight. In fact, it will be the local residents themselves who will dedicate the traditional proclamation of the fiesta to Paco, giving him the importance that a figure of his stature requires.
New to this year, the festival will be introducing 'molletes moraos' and 'moraitos' to the public. Yes, these are purple molletes (the typical flat bread roll from nearby Antequera) and mini bread rolls. There will be gluten-free versions too. According to mayor Manuel Lara, "We want families to enjoy the gastronomy where Malaga overlooks the Genil, in La Villa Morá."
The purple carrot, a symbol of the town, stands out for its size (some can weigh more than a kilo), its characteristic colour and its healthy properties, such as its richness in vitamins A, B and E, as well as its anti-carcinogenic and diuretic components. This root vegetable, whose local output reaches 300,000 kilos per year, is in great demand in international markets.
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