Santillana del Mar Hosts the First Tomato Festival, “La Huerta de Santillana”

The event, which will take place this Saturday, September 12, at the Museo Jesús Otero, will bring together residents, producers, and enthusiasts to share the experience of growing the traditional Santillana variety.

The Santillana del Mar City Council will host the I Encuentro del Tomate «La Huerta de Santillana» this Saturday, September 12, a day designed to recover and promote the municipality's traditional tomato variety, as well as to share the experiences of those who have participated in its cultivation over the last few months.

The initiative began last May with the distribution of plants among residents and participants. Since then, each garden has followed its own cultivation process, and now the time has come to share the results, exchange experiences, and continue promoting the conservation of a variety that is part of the agricultural history of Santillana del Mar.

The mayor, Sara Izquierdo Real, points out that "this project seeks to recover a part of our agricultural heritage and keep alive knowledge that has been passed down from generation to generation. The distribution of plants was only the beginning; now we want to gather to learn about each participant's experience, learn from one another, and continue caring for a variety that is part of our identity."

The day will kick off at 11:00 hours at the Museo Jesús Otero with the inauguration and the talk «Mis amigas las abejas», given by Simientes Infinitas. At 13:00 hours, it will be time for «Cultura del picante: sabor, pungencia y salud», a participatory talk led by Los Chiles de mi Barrio.

The program will continue in the afternoon. At 16:30 hours, a trampantojo de tomate workshop will be held, organized by the Taller de Tartas de Cantabria, with free registration for children on the same day. At 17:30 hours, Backtotheroots will offer the talk «Fermentados, microbiota y tomate», while the day will conclude at 18:30 hours with a seed extraction workshop, once again led by Simientes Infinitas.

Throughout the day, attendees will be able to visit an exhibition of traditional tomato varieties, in which the «Santillana» tomato will have a special prominence. Furthermore, as part of the Santillana al Aire program, the Grupo Recuerdos will offer two musical performances, scheduled for 12:00 and 20:00 hours.

With this first edition, the City Council aims to consolidate a meeting that serves to continue recovering the municipality's horticultural heritage, encourage the exchange of knowledge between generations, and strengthen the bond between traditional agriculture, gastronomy, and the social life of Santillana del Mar.

In case of rain, all activities will be moved to the CEIP Santa Juliana.