“We hope to receive, over the 10 days, around 200 thousand people, roughly the same number of visitors as last year”, Henrique Gomes, president of the municipal company Ambifaro, organizer of the event, told Lusa.

The annual event, which celebrates the patron saint of Santa Iria de Nabância, “aims to keep alive the centuries-old tradition that characterizes it, integrating local craft stalls, regional products, Algarve gastronomy, in a restaurant and entertainment area”, he highlighted.

The centuries-old event, which according to the organizers is more than 500 years old, is one of the major economic drivers of the city center of Faro, transforming Largo de São Francisco “into a picturesque setting of a thousand colours and movements”.

According to Henrique Gomes, in addition to the stands of exhibitors of artisanal and institutional products, and the entertainment and gastronomy area, “one of the great attractions that characterizes the fair is the Ferris wheel, measuring around 20 meters”.

“The wheel is already an icon of the city of Faro at this time of year”, he noted.

The person in charge added that the organization “is trying to rescue the identity of the fair”, namely its religious nature associated with Santa Iria de Nabância, with a religious program in honor of the saint.

Thus, the event will open on the 20th, with the celebration of a mass at the Misericórdia Church, at 5:30 pm, followed by a procession with the Saint's image to the fairgrounds, where it will be displayed in the entities' exhibition pavilion. officers.