Soaps, crochet pieces, painted fabrics, jewellery, traditional knives or pots and pans and up to 34 craft trades are represented at the 29th edition of the Gran Canaria Craft Fair which, for yet another year, opened its doors today in San Telmo with the attendance of the president of the island’s Cabildo, Antonio Morales, who, as well as greeting each of the 102 artisans who have come to the traditional Christmas event – from up to 20 municipalities on the island – wanted to encourage the public to “finalise their Christmas shopping and, as well as getting a good gift, help to keep alive traditions that are part of our identity”, he said.

Morales was accompanied by the Councillor for Economic Development, Industry, Trade and Crafts, Minerva Alonso, by the managing director of FEDAC, Águeda Hernández, and by the general director of Infecar, Feria de Gran Canaria, Natalia Santana, the entity that is organising the event for the first time. Together with FEDAC, which continues to be the promoter of the event, they have the task of working to make “the most important fair in the annual calendar in terms of the number of artisans, public attending and sales figures”, according to Antonio Morales, an even greater success, adding the experience of each entity in their area.

“This fair is an opportunity for the artisans to sell the work they do all year round, in commercial terms we are approaching the figures before the pandemic, which are around 250,000 euros, and this year I am sure we will reach them,” commented the president of the Cabildo.

To this end, Infecar has provided the fairs with a new website containing all the information related to them – dates, participating artisans, programme, etc. – and a new visual identity that combines tradition and innovation through cubism, with the aim of transmitting the richness and originality of Gran Canaria’s crafts and attracting not only local visitors but also the many tourists who come to the island and seek to get to know the local culture.

In this sense, the president of the Cabildo insisted that he trusts in the collaboration of Infecar “so that the fair continues to grow in the representation of trades and in its reach among the public”. “His intervention is already noticeable in the change of image and the improvement of communication through the website,” he added.

It is worth mentioning that this Fair was created as an economic and cultural proposal with the aim of attracting visitors to the area, given its importance as an open commercial centre and communications hub of the island’s capital, with all that this entails for the reactivation of the local economy and the craft sector.

From today, therefore – between 10:00 and 21:00 hours until the 4th of January and extending the closure until 00:00 hours on the 5th of January – the Plaza de San Telmo will be occupied by the 102 craftsmen and women exhibiting and selling their products. Artisans who come from the capital – 42 of them – while eight come from Agüimes, seven from Telde, six from San Bartolomé de Tirajana, five from Arucas, five from Ingenio, four from Santa Lucía, four from Santa Brígida, four from Santa Brígida, and four from Santa Brígida, four from Santa Brígida, four from Valsequillo, three from Agaete, three from Teror, two from Mogán, two from Gáldar, and one each from Artenara, Firgas, Aldea de San Nicolas, Moya, San Mateo, Santa Maria de Guía and Valleseco.

As for the entertainment programme that visitors can enjoy during their visit, it includes performances for the little ones, with the Canta cuentos, as well as musical concerts by Arístides Moreno, Los Faycanes, La Trova and Non Trubada.

On the other hand, on the new website, www.feriasartesaniagrancanaria.es visitors can find all the information related not only to the 29th edition of the San Telmo Fair, but also information about the next Gran Canaria Craft Fairs in 2024, the Primavera Sur Craft Fair to be held from 15th to 24th March, and the Faro de Maspalomas Summer Craft Fair to be held from 9th to 18th August 2024.

In short, the collaboration that begins with this 29th edition of the Gran Canaria San Telmo Crafts Fair between Fedac as promoter of the event and Infecar as organiser – both entities dependent on the Cabildo – promises to take the fair a step further for the benefit of “the artisans themselves and all the citizens of Gran Canaria”, in the words of Morales. The event also enjoys the collaboration of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria City Council.