Yilenia Vega: “This opening speech sums up the spirit of this year’s festivities: the importance of our roots and the importance of passing on our identity to new generations.”
Alejandro Marichal: “Paula has reminded us of the value of our traditions and of all those people who made the municipality we know today possible.”
Emotion, memory and pride in one's roots marked this Thursday's opening speech of the San Fernando 2026 festivities, delivered by Paula Rodríguez Artiles in a packed House of Culture in San Fernando.
With a warm, heartfelt, and deeply human narrative, the town crier took the audience on a journey through the history of Maspalomas and San Fernando from the perspective of those who witnessed the birth and growth of the municipality. “I am a true Maspalomas native,” she declared emotionally at the start of a proclamation filled with memories, family experiences, and a defense of popular traditions.
Paula Rodríguez reminisced about her childhood in the old village, playing in the streets, the Maspalomas dunes, and the simple life of those first generations who helped build the town. “We Maspalomas residents haven’t forgotten what we hold in our hearts,” she affirmed during a speech that drew enthusiastic applause from the audience.
One of the most moving moments of the evening came with the remembrance of her son, Noé Peña Rodríguez, a leading figure in Canarian folklore and popular culture, who passed away four years ago. “I dedicate this opening speech to him, to my guiding star,” she said, visibly moved. She also affirmed that she will continue to keep his legacy alive “by doing good and helping the people of Maspalomas in any way I can.”
The town crier also reviewed her career dedicated to the care and education of entire generations of residents in the municipality. She recalled how she began by caring for just eight children in a small, makeshift school in her own home and how, faced with the growing demand from working families in the south, she ended up building a small wooden cabin where she cared for up to 73 children. Years later, she spearheaded the creation of the first daycare center in the south, Los Dados, which served nearly 300 children and became a landmark for many families in the municipality for decades. “Almost all the young people of Maspalomas have passed through my hands,” she proudly declared during a proclamation that constantly resonated with the collective memory of several generations of residents.
The evening also featured a particularly moving soundtrack thanks to the performances of the Umiaya Folkloric and Cultural Group and the Sol y Arena Band. Umiaya was founded and created by Noé Peña Rodríguez himself as an initiative to promote, research, and disseminate Canarian folklore in San Bartolomé de Tirajana, becoming over the years one of the municipality's major cultural landmarks.
The Councillor for Tourism, Festivities and Events, Yilenia Vega, emphasized that “Paula represents the living memory of San Fernando and the families who built this town through hard work, traditions, and love.” Vega also noted that “this opening speech perfectly encapsulates the spirit of this year’s festivities, which are centered on our roots and the importance of passing on our identity to new generations.”
For his part, the First Deputy Mayor, Alejandro Marichal, emphasized that “listening to Paula was like listening to the living history of San Fernando and Maspalomas.” Marichal highlighted that “her words reminded us of the value of our traditions, our families, and all those people who made the municipality we know today possible.”
After the opening address, the mayor of San Bartolomé de Tirajana, Marco Aurelio Pérez, thanked Paula Rodríguez for accepting the responsibility of giving the opening address for the festivities “and doing so with such affection, sharing so much of the town's living history.” He also expressed his gratitude for the more than 43 years that Paula has “loved, nurtured, and shared with the residents.”
Emotions ran high when the town crier's aunts, Nemesia and Angelita, received two bouquets of flowers as a token of Paula's appreciation and affection. The town crier also received a plaque from the mayor in recognition of her service as town crier; a framed poster of the 2026 San Fernando Festival from the Councilor for Festivals and Events, Yilenia Vega, as a memento of this year's event; and a bouquet of flowers from a representative of the San Fernando Village.
After the ceremony concluded, Marco Aurelio Pérez officially inaugurated the 2026 San Fernando Festival, encouraging residents and visitors to enjoy a few days of community, local culture, and neighborly gatherings. The evening ended with a cocktail reception outside the San Fernando Cultural Center, where attendees, residents, family members, and local officials shared a heartfelt toast following the opening ceremony.
