El Arenal de Bilbao, located in front of the San Nicolás church, will be the setting this Saturday, July 11, for the Cherry Festival of the Las Caderechas Valley, in Burgos, where more than 10,000 kilos of freshly picked cherries, protected by the Guarantee Mark, will be put on sale. The event, which will take place from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM, will also include various activities for all audiences.
In this edition, producers from the Caderechas Valley will come to Bilbao with double the kilos of cherries compared to previous years, with the aim of bringing this fruit from the Burgos valley, near Medina de Pomar and Villarcayo, closer to the consumers of Bilbao.
As detailed by Eva Romero, head of promotion for the Guarantee Mark, the valley's location causes the cherries to "have very special characteristics and stand out for their quality." She also emphasized that Caderechas cherries are "the latest ripening cherries in Spain," even though in this season, "as with other fruits," the harvest has been brought forward by about 15 days in some of the 10 varieties cultivated in the valley, all of them protected by the 'Cereza del Valle de Las Caderechas' Guarantee Mark.
Romero pointed out that the geographical location, in the north of the province, and an average altitude of over 850 meters above sea level give the Caderechas valley "a special microclimate, with large temperature differences between day and night," which allows the cherry to "ripen later and stay on the tree longer," thus achieving "a perfect balance between acidity and sweetness."
At the Bilbao fair, some of the varieties included in the Caderechas Valley Guarantee Mark will be offered, as not all of them have the same ripening periods.
The event is promoted by Burgos Alimenta, the agri-food quality brand of the Provincial Council of Burgos, and the Association of Producers and Merchants 'Las Caderechas', and has the support of the Bilbao City Council and the Association of Merchants of the Old Town of Bilbao.
In addition to the various sales stands, El Arenal Park, together with the Provincial Council of Burgos, will have a tourist information stand about the province under the slogan "Burgos, Origin and Destination." This space will provide information on the main resources and attractions of the different regions of Burgos.
The Burgos Alimenta brand supports and promotes numerous products, including the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) Morcilla de Burgos, the PGI fresh cheese from Burgos, the red bean from Ibeas, and the wines produced in the province.