Faced with an atypical summer, mountain towns cancel fiestas and hope for a better situation next year

VALLE DE GUADALEST town halls all agreed to cancel this year’s fiestas.
The mayors of Confrides-Abdet, Benimantell, Beniarda, Benifato and Guadalest issued a joint statement calling off the celebrations after consulting each town’s Fiestas Committee.
The principal motive was a desire to avoid “unnecessary risks” posed by large gatherings of people, the mayors said, as their municipalities continued observing guidelines for “combatting and halting” the coronavirus pandemic.
The communique also pointed out that this summer would be “atypical” both for economic motives and the number of tourists the picturesque towns could expect.
It was preferable to postpone the 2020 fiestas while hoping for an improved situation in 2021, the mayors agreed.