Celorico de Basto will be a living camellia laboratory: “We want them to be a reason to visit”

Since March 2nd, camellias have been ‘dressing’ Celorico de Basto and attracting thousands of visitors to the municipality.

After the opening concert of the month of camellias, the Grand Prix of Camellias Horse Race, the concertina meeting and an arts exhibition, Celorico de Basto was the stage for the 19th edition of the International Camellia Festival.

Herman José’s performance, at Quinta do Prado, marked the official opening of the event, followed by the classics tour, opening and awarding of prizes for the camellia exhibition/contest, the fashion parade and election of the Queen, Royal Princesses and Princesses of the Camellias, the camellia walk, the meeting of classic bicycles and, the highlight, the themed parade “The Camellias as a source of inspiration” and the Battle of the Flowers.

On the afternoon of Sunday, March 17, dozens of groups paraded in the town’s main square, Praça Cardeal D. António Ribeiro, in the presence of thousands of people who watched the spectacle. “There are thousands of people who gather, not only from Celorico de Basto, from neighboring municipalities, but also from outside. There are people who save this weekend to come. Our tourist and local accommodation houses are completely filled, the restaurants too”began by praising the president of the Celorico de Basto City Council, José Peixoto Lima.

The themed parade of the 19th International Camélias Festival was attended by the entire community and the “The success of the party is due precisely to this. When we started organizing this initiative in 2004, we tried to involve the local community from the outset. It was a slow and gradual process, but we knew how to involve the community. First the educational one, the easiest to raise awareness; we involve traders, decorating the windows and trying to bring them to our gastronomy and wine space, an important component in any initiative; then there were individuals, who decorated the houses, and the IPSS and communities who decorated part of the square. In every corner of the town, and throughout the municipality, there is a different detail, the municipality breathes camellias and that is why people are surprised when they visit us”emphasizes the mayor.

Speaking to the newspaper A TRUTH, José Peixoto Lima highlights the camellia, “the jewel of Celoricense’s heritage” and “one of the reasons for promoting the municipality and local national and international affirmation. In Celorico de Basto we have what all camellia festivals have, but we innovate with the fashion show, for example, because the camellia is also a source of artistic inspiration. At this event, local designers and seamstresses end up getting involved and organizing a fantastic fashion show, where camellia is a source of inspiration for many of the models they present.”.

From sweets to gastronomy, there are several products on the market based on camellia, thus contributing to the dynamics of the local economy. According to the mayor of the municipality, the “great challenge”pass by “make camellias a reason to visit the municipality throughout the year. We have a project that is currently being prepared and we are going to start implementing it. We want to transform the municipality into a living camellia laboratory. We have protocols signed with some university and research circles and with entities linked to culture and arts“.

The objective will be “concentrate all knowledge in Celorico de Basto, both around the plant and in everything involved in the area of ​​economics. People will have the opportunity, throughout the year, to visit us to see the plant, but also to understand how camellia oils are extracted, to learn about the history”explains José Peixoto Lima, who highlighted the synergies created between the Douro and Tâmega e Sousa community. “It is important to understand that these types of initiatives organized in the low tourism season are fundamental. We have to understand each other in order to organize large events outside of high season, because it is also essential to combat seasonality”he highlighted.

The activities dedicated to the camellia end on March 24th, Sunday, with a concertina meeting, at the Centro Urbano da Mota. “Come and visit our historic gardens, our public space where camellias are always present and find our public space creatively transformed by the entire community. Visit our party, it’s a time for conviviality. You can only find this in Celorico de Basto and that is why we are the capital of camellias”was the invitation launched by José Peixoto Lima.

Full program here.