• The fair will remain open until Sunday, March 16, and offers a unique opportunity to discover and acquire handcrafted pieces.

The 14th edition of the Gran Canaria Primavera Sur Craft Fair continues to attract visitors and curious onlookers who wander through its tents in search of unique pieces and the charm of handmade items created by 72 artisans from the island. Located next to the Faro de Maspalomas, this fair has become a meeting point for professionals and the public and a space for cultural exchange where tradition and innovation coexist in every stand.

Craftsmanship from 15 municipalities is on display, showcasing 24 different artisanal trades. Among the participants is Pedro Marín, creator of the Árbore brand, who has found in recycled paper a sustainable material that gives waste a second life, transforming it into artistic jewelry. With previous experience in this craft, particularly in silversmithing, he discovered that paper and recycled cardboard are “a much more sustainable and rewarding resource for design, and I fell in love with it,” he explains.

Marín has been attending the fair for years and highlights its importance as a showcase for his work, which, “when displayed so closely to the public, is understood in a new light.” He values events like this, which “bring together a tourism sector with purchasing power and the local public, who always support us,” he adds.

Elisabet Espinosa shares a sentiment similar to Macranarias’s, who has spent a decade teaching herself and perfecting the macramé technique. “I am passionate about what I do,” says the artisan attending the Gran Canaria Primavera Sur Craft Fair for the first time. However, she previously participated in the Christmas edition organized by FEDAC in San Telmo Park. She sees both editions as “an opportunity to sell” her crafts, but she has been pleasantly surprised by the turnout and diversity of visitors, noting that “people spend more here than at other fairs.”

For candle maker Susana Ramírez, who has nearly 30 years of experience in the trade, “tourists have a greater candle culture and buy them as consumable items, while local customers seek them more for decoration or fragrance.” After years of experimenting with paraffin, which she considers the most versatile material for her craft, she has recently specialized in Canarian house candles, miniatures that recreate traditional island architecture, and has been working with beeswax. Having sold at local markets for years, she now feels that residents are “becoming more aware and starting to appreciate candle-making as an art.”

Ceramics, a staple of craft fairs, finds a unique representative in Bárbara Zaplana, known for her constant experimentation. “I’m always modifying designs, introducing new shapes, colors, and glazes so that visitors see something different every time they come to the fair,” she explains. With small, exclusive collections, the fair allows her to sell and interact with visitors and showcase her creative process. She takes advantage of her stand in one of the three tents provided by the organizers to work on her pieces in real-time, allowing passersby to observe her craftsmanship up close.

Learning the Trades

The fair is not just an exhibition of finished products but also a space where craftsmanship comes to life. Many artisans, like Bárbara, take the opportunity to work on their pieces while demonstrating their craft live. Additionally, daily demonstrations draw visitors to the “Live Craftsmanship” stand, where they can watch traditional techniques such as cane and palm basketry, knife-making, wool spinning and weaving, birdcage crafting, pottery, and embroidery.

One of the highlights is Ángel Rosario, a stonecutter with over 35 years of experience, who has been carving a lion sculpture from Tindaya stone during the fair. This stone, “a sister of the one used in the Alfredo Kraus Auditorium,” was acquired 25 years ago when he was working on stone projects for the cultural space. “It’s a personal challenge because the lions I see in fountains and sculptures remind me of Playmobil figures—very basic, straightforward. I always wanted to make a lion that looks real,” he says humorously. To achieve this, he uses a sketch of a lion’s head in white marble, generated by Artificial Intelligence, a tool he admits to using for design inspiration.

Although he did not attend the fair with the intention of selling, Rosario appreciates the opportunity provided by FEDAC to share his craft with the public. “The only saddens me is that I don’t speak languages, so I can’t communicate well with tourists,” he confesses.

Live Entertainment

As part of the event’s entertainment program, La Musicleta will perform on Friday, March 14, at 5:00 PM, followed by Ana Falcón on Saturday, March 15, at the same time, to close this year’s edition.

With a lively and welcoming atmosphere, enriched by daily live craft demonstrations and musical performances, the 14th edition of the fair will remain open until Sunday, March 16, from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM. It is a unique opportunity to discover, appreciate, and acquire pieces that represent Gran Canaria’s tradition and creativity.

About the Fair

The 14th edition of the Primavera Sur Craft Fair is promoted and funded by the Cabildo de Gran Canaria through the Fund for Ethnography and the Development of Canarian Craftsmanship (FEDAC), an entity under the Department of Economic Development, Industry, Commerce, and Crafts. The event is organized by Infecar, Feria de Gran Canaria, with the collaboration of the San Bartolomé de Tirajana City Council.

For more information about the participating artisans, performances, and craft demonstrations, visit feriasartesaniagrancanaria.es.