Program 

Festival Nacional de la Mejorana

Guararé, Panamá - 2010

 

Return to the main page for guarare.com

TUESDAY,  SEPTEMBER 14, 2010
7:00 p.m. Beginning of the "Novenas" in Honor of Our Lady of Mercy. The word Novenas refers to a period of nine days of prayer. There is usually a prayer gathering at the Catholic Church every evening.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2010
9:00 a.m. Great Junta (Gathering) for the construction of the barrier around the bullfighting rink Nicomedes Barrios. A Junta is a gathering for completing a project that requires significant manual labor. This junta, which takes place a few days before the actual festival, is for building the bullfighting barrier around an empty block that is next to the main plaza in Guarare. There are houses and businesses around that block, so the barrier is built in front of people's front doors, leaving some (reduced) space for residents and partygoers to watch the bullfights.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2010
8:00 p.m.

Coronation Ceremony for Her Majesty Yarissell  Henríquez Vergara, Queen of the LX (60th) Festival Nacional de la Mejorana, by Her Majesty Lourdes Guadalupe Brandao Delgado, Last Year's Queen.

 

Homage to Osvaldo Ayala, the “Scorpion of Paritilla”, in commemoration of his 40 years of artistic career. Osvaldo Ayala is the best performer of Tipico music in Panama. It is a traditional custom, from the times of the indian natives, to name important artists or sport figures by the name of an animal. Osvaldo Ayala is from Paritilla, a village in the Province of Los Santos.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2010
2:00 p.m.

Symposium "Live Patrimony and Folklore", organized by the National Folklore School Dora Pérez de Zárate

7:00 p.m. Salve (Hail Holy Queen) and Procession in Honor of Our Patron Saint, the Virgin of Mercy. Next, serenade and fireworks.

9:00 p.m.

Dance with violin music, as in the old times. Music by Alcibiades Bravo, at the residence of Mrs. Glenys de Durán.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2010
9:00 a.m. Solemn Eucarist in Honor of Our Lady of Mercy
12:00 m. Praises in honor of the Virgin of Mercy by decima singers and mejorana players from the region. Recognitions. Medals sponsored by Licenciada Nedelka Díaz.
2:00 p.m.

Symposium "Live Patrimony and Folklore", organized by the National Folklore School Dora Pérez de Zárate

Traditional Bullfights

Thirty Eighth Written Decima Competition Manuel F. Zárate, sponsored by Guararé's Lions Club.

A decima (or decima espinela) is the traditional verse form used in Panama and several other Latin American countries. It consists of ten eight-syllable lines, with the strict rhyming pattern ABBAACCDDC.

3:00 p.m. Pilgrimage to the Statue of Professor Manuel Fernando Zárate (founder of the Festival). The statue is just two blocks away from the main stage of the festival.
6:00 p.m.

Twenty Sixth Sung Décimas Competition “Bernardo Cigarruista”. Medal sponsored by Her Majesty Zue Ellen Vargas Bosques (queen from a previous festival)

Awards Ceremony for the Written Decima Competition Manuel F. Zárate, sponsored by Guararé's Lions Club

8:00 p.m.

Homage to Her Majesty Ida Domínguez, Queen of the XXXVI Festival, and Her Majesty Rebeca Espino, Queen of the XII Festival

Tenth Costume Competition Professor Dora Pérez de Zárate, Feminine and Masculine. Medal sponsored by Her Majesty Mirín Díaz (queen from a previous festival)

11:00 p.m. Folkloric expressions through the main streets and at the main plaza (park)
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2010  
9:00 a.m.

Fifteenth Children's Drum Competition, at the Main Stage of the Festival

 

The youth delegations will perform their regional dances in the “Victorino Fulito Córdoba” encounter, at the youth performace stage

9:30 a.m.

Symposium "Live Patrimony and Folklore", organized by the National Folklore School Dora Pérez de Zárate

10:00 a.m. Qualifying rounds for the Forty Ninth Accordion Competition “Rogelio Gelo Córdoba”, at the Jardín Reyín Espino.
10:30 a.m Fifteenth Children's Accordion Competition “Didio Borrero”, sponsored by the Didio Borrero Foundation and by the Banco Nacional de Panamá.
12:30 m. Thirty Fourth Drum Competition for Adults “Gumercindo Díaz”, sponsored by the Cooperative of Integrated Services José del  C. Domínguez, R.L.
2:00 p.m.

Serene Day. Great Mud Fights inside the bullfighting rink. Traditional cowfights. Parading with the Burlap Flag led by Her Majesty Yarisell Henríquez and her court.

3:00 p.m.

Award “Orden Manuel Fernando Zárate” to Mr. Ubaldino García, a Mejorana player, composer, and singer.

Certificate of Recognition to Mrs. Lila Cheville, a researcher of the Panamanian folklore.

3:30 p.m. Great Final Round of the Forty Ninth Accordion Competition “Rogelio Gelo Córdoba”, sponsored by Cable & Wireless, and Gold Medal by Panama's Ministry of Education.
5:30 p.m. Nineteenth Mejoranera Performance Competition "Aristides Gil - Esteban Rodriguez", sponsored by MELO Enterprises.
8:00 p.m. Nineteenth Folkloric Dance Competition "Lorenzo Lencho Vergara".
8:30 p.m. Homage to two “Cultores del Folklore” (folklore supporters): Teacher David Iturralde and Professor Valentín Ubarte. Gold Medal and Certificate sponsored by Licenciado Ventura Vega.
10:00 p.m.

Festival Flag delivered to the Flag Bearer for the Traditional Parade of Oxcarts on Sunday

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2010  
12:00 a.m. Performances by folkloric groups.
9:00 a.m.

Gathering, at the Complejo Deportivo Infantil (Youth Sports Complex), of the delegations, oxcarts, and general public.

 

Sixth Youth Sung Décima Competition “Félix Pérez”, sponsored by Licenciado Ventura Vega.

10:30 a.m.

First Youth Competition of Mejoranera, sponsored by MELO Enterprises

12:00 m.

Beginning of the Great Oxcart Parade led by the Flag Bearer. Two competitions will take place during the parade: the Twenty First Tuna Competition “Martina Castillo” and the Fifteenth Oxcart Competition “Tiburcio Saavedra”. A Tuna is a group of musicians, singers, and dancers that usually parade through the streets; in this case they parade accompanying each oxcart. Each oxcart is nicely decorated according to some folkloric theme and usually carries one or more people representing a particular custom of the country side.

2:00 p.m Traditional Bullfights.
5:00 p.m.

Award Ceremony for the Winners of the Tunas and Oxcarts Competitions.

6:00 p.m.

Violin Competition Escolástico “Colaco” Cortés.

7:30 p.m. Thirty Fourth Great Night of Violins. Award "Miguel Jaén" will be presented to Mr. Margarito Gutiérrez. Award "Juan Molina" will be presented to the most liked violinist of the night.
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2010 Traditional Gallota. A gallota is a female vulture. The term is used here to refer to a townspeople celebration that may take place the day after the end of a big festival.

Return to the main page for guarare.com
  

The opinions stated here are not official information from the Town of Guararé or the Festival Nacional de la Mejorana Organizing Committee. The producers and sponsors assume no responsibilty for errors or omissions in the data presented.

For comments about these pages please send email to festival@guarare.com.