Icod de los Vinos Hosts Third Annual Hermenegildo Socas Cruz Popular Theater Festival
The third annual Hermenegildo Socas Cruz Popular Theater Festival is currently underway in Icod de los Vinos, Tenerife, featuring a week of performances, exhibitions, and ethnographic tributes dedicated to preserving the town's rural comedy traditions and cultural heritage through April 12.
The third annual Hermenegildo Socas Cruz Popular Theater Festival is underway in Icod de los Vinos, Tenerife, celebrating the town’s rich history and rural comedy traditions. Organized by the Sol y Sombra Cultural Association and Theater Group, the event honors the legacy of local playwright Hermenegildo Socas Cruz while preserving the area’s intangible cultural heritage.
Running until April 12, the festival moves beyond traditional stages, hosting events in public spaces and local venues like the Sociedad Centro Icodense. The festival kicked off on Tuesday with a speech by César Rodríguez Yanes and a performance of El flechazo by José Expósito González. The week’s schedule includes book presentations, such as Mariposas de Finados, a photography exhibition titled Ofrendas de luz, and a tribute to Guillermina Rosquete Rodríguez on Thursday at 8:00 p.m.
The weekend brings a more interactive focus. On Saturday, the Folk Group from the University of La Laguna’s Faculty of Education will perform while moving through the streets between the San Agustín pedestrian area and the Plaza de Lorenzo Cáceres. Various guest groups—including Teatruva, the Rosalía Alonso Theater Association, Alongateatro, and El Roque Azucarero—will also present their work throughout Friday and Saturday.
The festival concludes on Sunday, April 12, with a focus on ethnographic traditions. At 11:30 a.m., students from CEIP La Vega will perform the Matar la culebra ritual, followed by the launch of a handcrafted paper balloon titled El delantal de mi madre by Osmundo Delgado Martín. The official closing ceremony at the Sociedad Centro Icodense will feature an awards presentation, a lecture by official chronicler Fernando Díaz Medina, and a staged reading exploring Icod’s theatrical scene in the 1940s.
Festival spokesperson Ulises Hernández highlighted the importance of local partnerships, such as those with Ycoden Daute Radio, and the presentation of the "Poleo de Honor" award to José Fernando Díaz Medina. By showcasing regional talent and strengthening ties to the El Amparo neighborhood, the festival serves as a vital tool for safeguarding the community's cultural identity.