• The San Telmo park vibrates with the attendance of thousands of people who come to finalise their Christmas shopping at the 29th Craft Fair edition

The traditional San Telmo Craft Fair – an unavoidable event for those who opt for a unique piece, handcrafted by the privileged hands of one of the masters that Gran Canaria treasures – kicked off today, as every day, at 10:00 am and while the first visitors began to browse among the stands, the atmosphere among the stallholders – in the absence of official figures – was one of satisfaction. By noon, it was already vibrating with the large audience in attendance, with background music for the little ones – the Storytellers’ Julieta no longer believes in Christmas’ – and all accompanied by splendid sunshine.

The goal in this 29th edition, as stated by the president of the Cabildo himself, Antonio Morales, at the inauguration, is to reach the sales figures before the pandemic. The stallholders with the most experience at this Christmas event assure that the number of people they have received these days and the atmosphere they breathe are already the best occasions. “I have already reached my goal for this year,” says Maria Jesús Machín, the only wood inlayer still active in Gran Canaria – a traditional craft consisting of inlaying noble materials such as mother-of-pearl, gold, silver or precious stones into wood – and who is also a fabric decorator. “I’ve sold 60 handmade T-shirts with a new design from this year, a baifo, and also inlaid pieces even though they’re more expensive,” explains Machín, who defines the San Temo public as “very loyal and respectful” and the event as “very well organised, from security to cleaning”.

Her assessment coincides with that of Jennifer Cabrera, a weaver who only participates in this Fair, that of San Telmo, because – she explains – “this is another audience, and the fair gives you a lot of visibility”. Cabrera uses the traditional technique to work contemporary pieces, such as tapestries, scarves, cushions or bags and assures that year after year, the public is surprised by these multiple uses, and it seems to her that they value the work behind them. “People come here to buy, but for many, it’s also a way to get to know these crafts,” she explains.

Pedro Aguilar, a young visitor walking with his partner and mother, is an excellent example of that loyalty, having already purchased several ceramic and macramé pieces. “We like the variety you find at this Fair, and we always come not only for Christmas shopping but to look for those unique things that each of us likes”. Regarding this 29th edition, Aguilar is clear: “I think it gets better every year; I would give this edition a 9; it’s great, from the stalls to the organisation, it’s a pleasure,” he concludes.

Among the 102 artisans participating this year, 34 crafts and ten traditional are represented. One of the latter is practised by José Manuel Díaz, a 75-year-old self-taught carpenter who came to the craft after an injury prevented him from continuing to work in construction and who reproduces all the traditional farm tools such as the yoke, plough, threshing sledge or viergo, as well as knives or walking sticks or jump sticks. His is a unique stand, and as he explains, the people who most appreciate his work are “older people who used these tools.” although, with the whistles that mimic the trill of a bird, he is a hit with the little ones. “This is the best fair in Gran Canaria, and after the pandemic this year, I’m seeing that it has fully recovered,” he says.

Ángel Rosario, a stonemason, gives another expert insight: “The first day is usually slow; sometimes you don’t sell anything because people come to look, but this year, we started selling from the very first minute”. Rosario designs the decorative pieces he manufactures with stone from the Arucas quarry. He always brings novelties to San Telmo because, according to his experience, “the audience here values this work”.

The famous fair becomes the best showcase to promote the island’s producers yearly. The Cabildo de Gran Canaria offers artisans the opportunity to set up in the centre of the capital municipality, a usual shopping place for many Gran Canarians, as well as for the numerous tourists who visit the island every year at this time. Like Lucas Megnor, a 20-year-old Norwegian on holiday walking around “surprised by the variety” he is finding. “I came because I saw a sign in the city, and I’m delighted by the number of things you can buy,” he says. “I don’t think there’s anything like this in my country, nothing this size, with so many craft trades,” he assures.

And San Telmo is already part of Christmas shopping. Pino Gil, for example, was there the second day with her daughter – they came from Arucas – and her daughter fell in love with a pendant she had come to buy her as a gift today. As jeweller Ivonne Zulay explains, “Once they get to know you, people come back year after year looking for you”. In her case, these are some of the very personal, architecturally inspired pieces she works on. “It’s important to have your style, to stand out from the rest. If you do it, it sells very well in San Telmo,” she analyses.

However, tomorrow remains Christmas Eve, when the Fair goes all out for the latecomers. Children can also enjoy the 11 am Storytelling – ‘The Music Tale World Tour’ – and at 9 pm, the entertainment programme will close in style with a performance by Non Trubada. But the stalls will be open until midnight, so no one is left without their gift. The guarantee at San Telmo is that it will be a unique piece, handmade and with all the affection of these artisans who keep alive the culture and identity hallmarks of Gran Canaria.

Cabinet makers and toy makers take the top-stand design awards from FEDAC.

The awards for the best Stand design have already been presented: a first prize, valued at €3,000, which went to cabinet maker José Antonio Díaz, and a second prize of €2,000 to toymaker Elodie Renie. These awards from Fedac aim to highlight the display and sales techniques that Fedac itself teaches in numerous courses throughout the year. Encouraging effort in this regard, as Díaz confirms, is undoubtedly “an important incentive to keep working”. In his case, he will use it to buy materials and tools. His stand is decorated with murals made by his hand, for which he has used the negatives of the pieces he designs, that is, the wood left after extracting the piece in question. Renie, meanwhile, has used cardboard, with the aim of “rejuvenating the stand and offsetting the wood, the plywood I work with, with colour, so that the park itself is integrated, enters the stand,” explains the toy maker, who confirms that the effort has been worthwhile. “The prize is undoubtedly a great help, but I also see that it is attracting a lot of attention, causing more people to stop,” she says.

The first fair organised by Infecar, the Gran Canaria Trade Fair

Infecar, Gran Canaria Trade Fair, is for the first time the organiser of the event and, in collaboration with Fedac – which continues to be the promoter – has the task of making the most important annual event for the craft sector – in terms of number of artisans, attendees and sales figures – an even greater success.

To this end, it has provided the fairs with a new website, www.feriasartesaniagrancanaria.es, where visitors can find all the information related not only to the 29th edition of the San Telmo Craft Fair but also get to know the information on the upcoming 2024 Gran Canaria Craft Fairs, the Southern Spring Craft Fair to be held from 15 to 24 March, and the Maspalomas Lighthouse Summer Craft Fair to be held from 9 to 18 August 2024.

In addition, Infecar has provided the fairs with a new visual identity that combines tradition and innovation through cubism to convey the richness and originality of Gran Canaria’s craftwork.