VI MUTXAMEL TOMATO FAIR

The producers of "Tomate Muchamiel" will showcase this variety so that visitors can acquire it and learn about its main and peculiar characteristics.

This year, there will be wine, cheese, and honey tastings throughout the fair, which can be participated in for free with prior registration.

The VI Tomate Fair, one of the key events in the municipality this July, returns on July 19 and 20 from 7:30 PM to 11:00 PM with a program of activities aimed at promoting the "Tomate Muchamiel" product. This is a hallmark for local agriculture and gastronomy, which this year can be purchased and tasted once again, thanks to the local producers who work their crops to obtain this particular variety. This edition of the fair will be held in Plaça de Sant Roc and the Santa Elena Gardens of the Ferraz Orchard, an emblematic location where important elements for the history of the municipality's agriculture and the Alicante orchard, such as its traditional irrigation system with ditches, can be appreciated.

Starting from Friday, the 19th at 7:30 PM, visitors will enjoy a full program of activities. This edition, besides the exhibition of the "Tomate Muchamiel" product, will also feature stands with cheese, honey, and wine. Participating companies from the municipality and the Alicante province include Finca Collado, MG Wines, Santa Catalina del Maña, Ruta del Vino, Quesería El de Sereix, Quesería La Vaquería del Camp d’Elx, and Granja de la Miel. Over the two days, tastings have been organized so that visitors can try the products before purchasing them and learn about the characteristics that make them unique. To participate in these free tastings, prior registration is required (https://www.tomatemuchamiel.com). The exhibition will also include artisans from various fields.

Live music will also be present in this sixth edition. On Friday at 9:00 PM, the traditional Summer Dance of the "La Alianza" Musical Society will fill Plaça de Sant Roc with summer hits, and on Saturday at the same time until 10:30 PM, jazz music will entertain attendees and provide a grand finale to the Fair.

Children's activities will also be part of the program to introduce the Tomate Muchamiel and its characteristics to the little ones. There will be two workshops, one on product labeling and another where a tapa will be made with this product to unleash their culinary creativity.

The Fair will also have other stands where visitors can obtain tourist information about the municipality, as well as scientific data and curiosities about the local tomato variety from the UMH University.

The Councilor for Environmental Sustainability, Lara Llorca, explained that “this year a dynamic program has been prepared, combining different types of activities to attract all kinds of visitors, whether local or from the region, to continue promoting our star product, the ‘Tomate Muchamiel.’” She pointed out that “the tastings have been added to this edition to enhance the attractiveness of the Fair and increase the number of participants. It is also important for people to try the products, so they know what they are buying; we hope this will also benefit the exhibitors and they end both days with good sales.” Regarding the product campaign in major supermarkets in the region, Llorca clarified that “in Alcampo, the product is already available for sale, and in Carrefour, it will be available in the coming weeks. It must be understood that production is very tied to the season, and cultivation and ripening times must be respected to ensure it is at its peak.”

The mayor of the municipality, Rafael García Berenguer, stated that “in addition to new activities, we have chosen to locate the Fair in a unique place, an example of a typical farm related to the municipality's agriculture and the 13th-century irrigation system that has been the heart of the Alicante orchard; it is an opportunity to continue making it known to residents and tourists.” Regarding the star product around which the Fair revolves, the mayor emphasized that “our tomato retains the essence of cultivation using ancestral techniques but has perfectly adapted to modern processes to enhance and grow; it is a key product in our tourist and gastronomic image, and we must strive to make it increasingly known and consumed.”