Foreign students studying in Cuba and others from Vietnam, South Africa, Australia, Spain, Mexico, Colombia and Canada -with the largest delegation- are among the participants in the Festival, said Alexis Triana, Culture director here and president of the Romerias' organizing committee.

The Festival has scheduled different events which will travel to squares, schools and different other institutions that will welcome popular activities as the Hugs Party, but also concerts, plays presentations and the audiovisual contest.

Plastic arts will rein here with the exhibitions by 40 artists from several countries along with the engravings by Ecuador's idle Oswaldo Guayasamin and another by Holguin painter Cosme Proenza.

The first three days of the Romerias deal with tradition, days from 2 to 4, while modernity will come from 6 to 7 which includes concerts, recitals, popular dances.

The opening parade ended in the Hill of the Cross with the climbing by all delegations to the top of the above mentioned hill -one of Holguin's symbols to enjoy up there the concert by local orchestra Andy Clark y Tiempo Cubano.

The pre-opening concert of the 15th Romerias de Mayo festival took place at the Bosque de los Heroes plaza (midnight of May 2) by Haydee Milanes -daughter to top Cuban troubadour Pablo Milanes.

(www.radioangulo.cu)