The celebrations which took place in the old army barracks of sa Coma last week to mark the Day of the Balearics were a roaring success, with more than 11,000 people passing through the doors at some time or another during the day, prompting Xico Tarrés, the President of the Consell, to comment that it was the most Ibicenco of all the fiestas that had been mounted in previous years. The Day was used to show the public just a few of the projects which have been developed on the site in the almost four years of Socialist rule, such as the three university faculties and the motor-cross circuit. He also explained that other projects, such as the building of further university faculties, and the placement of security and emergency services on the land were well on course.
A large marquee was set up in the central esplanade where various workshops had been installed with stalls displaying ecological crops from across the island. Horses from Menorca entertained the crowd with their dressage skills, as did local folklore groups with their typical dances. Children and adults alike were treated to train rides allowing them to take a look at all of the installations at first hand.
However, it was not all celebrations after several visitors to the event received an unpleasant surprise when finally returning to their vehicles. Whilst they had been busy enjoying the festivities inside sa Coma the Traffic Police had been busy fining those illegally parked on the verge outside the complex rather than in the designated car park. The Consell had set aside a large open space for parking but did not expect the event to be so well attended, and there were not sufficient spaces for everyone. A representative of the Guardia Civil commented that he was not certain how many cars had been fined, but the number was probably between 50 and 60.