- The fair enters its final stretch at the Maspalomas Lighthouse, where it will remain open to the public from 17:00 to 23:00 until Sunday, August 18th
The Gran Canaria Summer South Crafts Fair, which opened to the public last Friday, August 9th, faces the last days of its seventeenth edition with more than sixty stands where you can find all kinds of handmade products on the island, a musical performance by Araguaney, and the final live craft demonstrations of this edition.
The area around the Maspalomas Lighthouse has been hosting this summer gathering of tourists and locals with the island’s artisans since last Friday, August 9th, the day of its inauguration. Visitors who have already toured the 64 stands that make up the fair in this edition have been able to acquire unique products handmade in Gran Canaria. The original pieces that can be found at this fair range from silver jewellery and various recycled materials, candles, ceramic tableware, cups, fans, and patchwork to all kinds of decorative objects such as curious figures made of wood or iron, replicas of pre-Hispanic pottery pieces, miniatures, toys made of fabric and recycled materials, and clothing woven and decorated with various techniques.
For his part, the knife maker Manuel González Perera will show during today’s session how his hands work to create from scratch unique pieces recognized worldwide for the complexity of their details, making him the protagonist this Wednesday of the Live Crafts space of this edition. He will be followed by daily exhibitions by José Manuel Rodríguez Díaz (leather crafting), Josefa Peña Galván (embroidery), María Eloísa Peña Galván (rye basketry), and Nicolasa Alemán Sosa (openwork).
Moreover, the last days of the Gran Canaria Summer South Crafts Fair arrive with the performance of Araguaney. This popular music group will accompany tomorrow afternoon, Thursday, August 15th, from 18:30 onwards, the visitors who come to discover the island’s craft trades and their artisans and their products, culture, and traditions with them.
In fact, the artisan professionals participating in this edition, who represent 20 of the 87 trades that make up the Repertoire of Artisan Trades of the Canary Islands, have all participated in previous editions of this event to promote the commerce of handmade products in Gran Canaria. Many of the artisans agree that this event at the Maspalomas Lighthouse is a “very close way” to bring their creations and products to the tourists who visit Gran Canaria at this time, but also to show them “our culture” and allow them to “take a piece of it back to their homes”.
All information regarding the artisans is available on the website www.feriasartesaniagrancanaria.es, where visitors will also find the schedule for the Live Crafts space.
The 17th edition of the ‘Gran Canaria Summer South Crafts Fair’, promoted and financed by the Cabildo of Gran Canaria through Fedac and organized by Infecar with the collaboration of the City Council of the Villa de San Bartolomé de Tirajana, will be open to the public every day from 17:00 to 23:00 until this Sunday, August 18th.