The gala was held at the Riberas del Guadaíra Auditorium and recognised professionals in education, art, science, and public service. Mayor Ana Isabel Jiménez highlighted the pride of being from Alcalá.
The city of Alcalá de Guadaíra celebrated its grand day on 21 September with the presentation of the Día de Alcalá 2026 awards, an event that brought together municipal representatives and residents at the Riberas del Guadaíra Auditorium to acknowledge the achievements of individuals and groups linked to the municipality.
The jury distinguished ten awardees: teacher María Quirós, dancer Araceli de Alcalá, educator Francisca Olías, teacher Joaquín Ordóñez, stage director Magdalena Alfaro, scientist Juan Carlos Sánchez, the Grand Allegro Dance Studio, ceramist and painter Jesús Alcarazo, local police officer and president of the Red Cross in Alcalá Carlos Gallego, and posthumously, doctor Ricardo Piña.
The mayor, Ana Isabel Jiménez, opened the event with a speech in which she asserted local identity. "It is time to celebrate who we are: a bright and vibrant city, alive in its streets, industrious in its businesses, its shops... Full of talent, curious and adventurous, passionate about its heritage, guarded by a dragon and a Castle, which holds in its throat and in the caves of the Castle the flamenco echo of Joaquín," declared the mayor.
"Today is a day to pause and reflect on what defines us, on what makes us different and gives us personality. Because every community needs elements that anchor it to time and space, so as not to drift with fashions or untimely influences. We Alcalareños have, in this sense, a very firm seat. One that is based on the old stones of the Castle and centuries of history behind us," added Jiménez.
The deputy mayor and delegate for Andalusian Identity, Christopher Rivas, also spoke to congratulate the awardees. "Alcalá de Guadaíra is a promise that is renewed every 21 September. And today, that promise has names and surnames: those of each of the awardees. We are the children and grandchildren of those who survived difficulties without losing their smile. And that is why today we can afford to dream big," affirmed Rivas.
"We are not just giving you a distinction. We are thanking you on behalf of a whole town that has been watching you. In silence. And today, finally, it says it out loud: Thank you for being an example for us," the deputy mayor dedicated to the honorees.
Among the recognitions stands out that of María Quirós Acejo, a Geography and History teacher with over 40 years of teaching at IES Cristóbal de Monroy, a centre celebrating its 50th anniversary and which she directed for the last two decades, promoting educational innovation.
Francisca Olías Ferrera, educator and councillor for Education and deputy mayor in the first democratic council, was also awarded, now a promoter of local historical memory. The award to Joaquín Ordóñez Jiménez recognises his work as a teacher of Adult Education and his environmental and memorial activism: he presides over the AlWadi-Ira association and is co-author, along with Manuela Pabón, of the book History of the Olive Picking Women of Alcalá.
The event, which lasted just over an hour, concluded with the presentation of the awards to the honorees. The Día de Alcalá awards are held annually coinciding with the local festival and aim to publicly recognise the contributions of residents and institutions to the cultural, social, and professional development of the municipality.
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