Altamira Event Center receives final preparations for the official opening of Chocolate Xingu this Thursday
The forecast is that 140,000 people will pass through the Event Center, located in the city center. Throughout the morning and early afternoon, producers and chocolatiers were adjusting the preparations of their exhibition stands.
With the expectation of receiving an audience of 140,000 visitors, the International Festival of Chocolate and Cocoa of Altamira - Chocolate Xingu will officially open on the night of this Thursday. Throughout the morning and early afternoon, producers and chocolatiers finalized the preparations of their product exhibition stands. Among them is Fábio Sicília, who will be participating in the event for the fourth consecutive year.
Representing the capital of Pará, Sicília said he feels privileged to be part of the festival in the region that produces the most cocoa in Pará. For him, it is essential that this region – known as Xingu or Transamazonian for being along the length of federal highway 230 – has visibility.
“Here is produced one of the best – or perhaps the best cocoa in the world. This is the moment when you have the opportunity to showcase cocoa and chocolate producers, and I am very happy to know that when I started, there was no one yet resuming chocolate production – because it existed in the past – in 2004 no one produced anymore. Today we have 120 brands of chocolates from Pará, and the central axis of this advancement is this region, as there has been technological advancement in cocoa production,” he recalls.
In his luggage, he said he brought an innovation to Altamira. In addition to the already traditional products, he will present during the festival cocoa derivatives with cupuaçu, showing that he has the skill and already makes the best delicacy from cupuaçu seeds in the world, as he assured.
“What Embrapa would call cupulate, we have it in several versions with the same elegance and sophistication that cocoa has. Another element we will present will be the liqueur with a special edition for COP30, which could not be missing,” he announced.
The festival coordinator from the Secretary of Agricultural Development and Fisheries (Sedap), Ivaldo Santana, said that visitors can expect many new things being presented at this festival. The estimated number of visitors, according to him, is 140,000 people passing through the Vilmar Soares Event Center, where the program will extend until Sunday (29).
“We have more than 140 stands for producers to showcase their products, and we also have national and international attractions such as speakers, chocolatiers who came from other countries and states, in addition to local ones. It will be the largest gathering ever held in the cocoa region of the State of Pará,” Santana assured.
The Chocolate Xingu is a joint promotion by Sedap with the City Hall of Altamira through the municipal secretariats of Tourism and Agriculture. The event will be officially opened at 7 PM with the presence of Governor Helder Barbalho and local guests and representatives of public agencies, producers, and the general public. Singer Wanderley Andrade will perform for the audience after the opening ceremony, which will take place on the stage set up at the Event Center.
