The municipal booth of El Rengue gathers around 5,000 seniors from the eleven districts of Málaga this week. For many, it is much more than a dinner: it is therapy that restores their joy and desire to dance.
The Málaga Fair has a corner reserved for those who have experienced many fairs: the municipal booth El Rengue, a space that during these days becomes the meeting point for around 5,000 seniors from the eleven districts of the city. There, among pasodobles and shared tables, a phrase is repeated: "It gives me life".
This year, Maricruz has made her debut at the booth and claims she feels young again.
"I feel like I have returned to my youth. When I was younger, I used to go out dancing a lot, but age doesn't forgive. Tonight I feel like I did before," she recounts.Her friend Loli, a veteran of El Rengue, convinced her after five years of attending each fair:
"I finally encouraged her to come. She couldn't miss this".
The booth is not just a dinner. For many, it is an excuse to leave the house, meet friends, and revive a passion that has been set aside. Concha and her friends have come this year through a lottery and do not hide their enthusiasm:
"We love coming to dance, and if we could, we would come to dance every day".José, who is repeating the experience, sums up the general feeling:
"They take us, bring us back, and feed us. This makes it enjoyable to come".And he adds with a smile: "I'm off to dance because it's time to shake the skeleton".
El Rengue is also a safe space for those who need it most. Loli shares that her mother, who has heart problems, managed to attend this year in a wheelchair and with oxygen:
"In the last week, she has been training every day to come here. She was going up and down the stairs to practice for when she had to get on the bus. We have been waiting for this moment all year".
Not everyone can repeat. Rosario, a resident of El Palo, laments that this year she can only attend once during the week, as the booth has been following a protocol of shifts by districts for the past two years.
"At my age, I can't go to other booths because they are all for the youth. I miss the fair".
Antonia, who arrives with her flamenco group, appreciates the atmosphere:
"The welcome is always very comfortable and gentle, especially for us, the seniors. This gives me life. These are the things that are worth it".
Beyond dancing and dinner, El Rengue has become an annual event to reconnect with friends, remember past parties, and, above all, feel alive once again during the fair. The booth will remain open during the fair days, with shifts established by districts, and the free bus continues to be the means of transport for many attendees.
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