They cut and cover iron threads with silk, assemble porcelain cups to make dragons. In the Ritouret park in Blagnac, the Lantern Festival, the cultural event of the winter, will not open its doors to the public until December 1st. But behind the fences, the site already looks like a beehive. Nearly 80 Chinese artisans from Zigong, "the world capital" of these typical lanterns, give life to the 2,500 giant lanterns that will illuminate the magical paintings, from the imperial palaces to the panda forest, by the way, Blagnac obliges, by a sustained tribute. in aeronautics.
These painters, metalworkers, seamstresses or welders - who live nearby in a rehabilitated hostel for young workers - are the guarantors of the success that the mayor of Blagnac presents as "one of the biggest cultural events in Europe".
" Economic recovery "
In its Gaillac version, the festival brought together nearly 480,000 visitors in three editions.
But on 3 hectares, when the Blagnac site occupies 8 of them. And while the women and men of the art are in charge of the "fairyland", the municipal services are preparing to welcome the surge, for two months.
To come, you will have to take the tram or park (for 5 euros) in the P5 parking lot at the airport before getting on a free shuttle.
Joseph Carles, the mayor of the city, wants to make the event an instrument of “economic recovery”, in particular for disaster-stricken hoteliers, restaurateurs and traders.
The economic benefits for the metropolis are estimated at 15 million euros.
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