The Friends of Como will once again organize the heart of Christmas 2024. Last year the tender to set up the Christmas markets in Piazza Perretta was awarded to the Como Turistica Consortium, the entity that has promoted the City of Toys for thirty years. In 2022 the new municipal administration, amidst a thousand controversies, had canceled the crowded and sumptuous Christmas built over many years, preferring a more sober and peaceful event. So the return for only the part of the markets of the Friends of Como, who in the meantime also organized Christmas in Cernobbio, not without some acrimony.
«We had the possibility, having won the 2023 tender, to exercise the right of option for Christmas 2024 – he explains Daniele Brunati – and so it is for those who organized the ice rink in Piazza Cavour. After all, we have always wanted to commit ourselves to the city and we intend to continue in this mission. We have many ideas and proposals in the drawer, not only regarding the Christmas holidays. We certainly care a lot about our Città dei Balocchi brand, hosted in Cernobbio. We therefore wanted to imagine a great Christmas spread across the lake, shared with other territories, but starting from the capital. But for the moment let’s think about what we can do while waiting for future choices.”
The current municipal administration has never shown the intention of returning to the edition of Città di Balocchi so frequented by visitors. The Municipality has chosen clearly and without second thoughts to focus on Christmas in Como, with a less glittering and chaotic form, however judged by some, above all traders, to be at times desolate. For a long time, the opinions of citizens who did not like the onslaught of tourists for Christmas screenings were opposed to those of supporters of a Christmas capable of attracting the general public. The trade associations have also spoken out on this issue several times.
For the moment, however, at least in Piazza Perretta, compared to last December, things will not change. 20, a maximum of 25 wooden houses will take place in front of the former Bank of Italy and another three will be placed in Piazza Grimoldi to host the third sector associations on a rotation basis. The various activities implemented for Christmas are no longer awarded to a single operator as was the case until 2021, but had been split up into several tenders with the intention of involving different subjects.
