More than 40,000 people visited SANTIAGRO between May 26 and 29. The Agricultural and Horse Fair, already in its 29th edition, surpassed the best expectations and beat all the records of previous years. This, together with the quality in general of the Fair, the turnover over the four days and the satisfaction of the exhibitors and visitors, put SANTIAGRO 2016 as the best ever.
“It was certainly SANTIAGRO with the largest number of visitors. Friday was the best day ever, in 29 years of Fair. And Saturday was the second best day, with a small difference for Friday. And even Sunday was one of the best days ever. Compared to 2015, which had already been the best Fair in recent years, we are talking about close to 20 thousand more people. It’s obvious that we had another Fair day, but even if we pull out on Thursday we’re talking about another 12 to 13 thousand people, which is extraordinary “, congratulates Álvaro Beijinha, who is advancing with a total number of visitors “More than 40 thousand people. It was the perspective that we had launched before the Fair, in a very optimistic way. This is a very significant number, “says the President of the MSC, especially given that” the increase in the budget of the Fair for this year was “very little expressive”. Álvaro Beijinha attributes a great part of the success of the Fair to the employees of the autarchy, in the most diverse areas. “It was only possible because the workers of the House made this event reach and exceed the goals that we had proposed.”
SANTIAGRO 2016 had a total of 205 exhibitors – sixty in the covered area and the remaining on the terrace of the fair – and also 31 food and beverage spaces. “The overwhelming majority of exhibitors are satisfied and want to return next year. From the restoration and the bars, there was unanimity. It was very profitable in terms of business and this for us is important. We like a fair with a lot of people, but we want the exhibitors also to have a good fair in terms of business. “
The 29th Farming and Horse Fair also had significant repercussions outside the venue. Álvaro Beijinha spoke “with restaurateurs outside the fair and also they said they were full. I know the hotels were full too. The contribution to the local economy was certainly much higher than the investment made by the Chamber at the Fair. ”
“Whoever went to the Fair – I think this is indisputable – has realized that it is consolidated, well-groomed. There are some aspects that we have to improve every year. We have to adapt to the growth of the Fair. The overwhelming majority of people made a positive review. It is a fair that is becoming more and more important, not only in our municipality, but in the whole region, “says the President of MSC.
Equestrian rides, animal milking, showcooking, horseball demonstration (a novelty of this year’s edition), colloquiums, demonstrations of the art of baking, tastings and parade of corals were some of the offers that the program offered over four intense and filled days , Who had their high points with the concerts of C4Pedro, AGIR, António Zambujo and DAMA, who all recorded floods. Before the shows, the rhythms were marked, in the area of the terrace, by the Batebatukas, a musical project of social integration developed between the Town Hall and Manuel da Fonseca Secondary School, which surprised the visitors. The 29th SANTIAGRO is also marked by the centenary of the Crédito Agrícola Costa Azul, with special focus on Saturday, the day in which several activities allusive to the 100 years of the institution took place.
