The Cabildo of Lanzarote presented this Wednesday the 36th edition of the Craft Fair, which will take place from September 10 to 15 in Mancha Blanca, with the participation of more than 120 artisans from all over the Archipelago and the international presence of creators from San Antonio, Texas.
The presentation ceremony was presided over by the president of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, Oswaldo Betancort, accompanied by the Councilor for Crafts, Aroa Revelo, the Councilor for Culture Jesús Machín and the mayor of Tinajo, Jesús Machín. Also present were the artisans Félix Hernández Saavedra and Víctor Socas.
The Councilor for Crafts and the Councilor for Culture, Aroa Revelo and Jesús Machín respectively, agreed that “this fair, consolidated in the island's cultural calendar with more than 70,000 visitors in the last edition, keeps our traditions alive and promotes the approach of new generations, reinforcing the link between popular culture, innovation and creativity”.
Revelo stressed that “in this edition we wanted to give prominence to trades deeply linked to the history of the island, such as soletas or rosetas, and at the same time open ourselves to the world with the exchange provided by the artisans from Texas”.
For his part, the president of the Cabildo, Oswaldo Betancort, highlighted during the event that “this 36th edition is a collective success of the entire multidisciplinary team of the Island Institution and pointed out that crafts are not only about making trades visible, it is also industry, economy and culture, we are talking about fashion, sustainability and recovering identity signs of Canarian identity”.
Similarly, the mayor of Tinajo, Jesús Machín, thanked the Cabildo of Lanzarote for the work done and pointed out that the municipality has already established itself as the headquarters of this fair. “Mancha Blanca becomes the epicenter of crafts at an international level every September, a space where residents and visitors can enjoy our traditions in a unique environment”.
More than 120 exhibitors and 40 trades
The program of the 36th Lanzarote Craft Fair offers proposals for all audiences, combining tradition, innovation and spaces for coexistence. Family and adult workshops will highlight ancestral trades such as pottery, palm and pírgano basketry or tanning, along with live craft exhibitions with demonstrations by basket makers, cutlers or shoemakers. The fair will also feature gofio tastings, musical performances and parrandas, as well as talks and meetings on tradition, in addition to exhibitions of Canarian games and sports such as Canarian Wrestling, the game of the can or the lifting of the plow.
“This exhibition highlights the resistance and creativity of a sector that has been able to adapt and reinvent itself, keeping alive the wisdom of our ancestors”, explained Aroa Revelo.
Among the most outstanding novelties are the third edition of the Rosettes Meeting, which will bring together artisans and fans of this traditional trade; the special dedication to the soletas, rustic handmade footwear with a traditional Lanzarote sole; the participation of guest artisans from Texas; and the call for the Lanzarote Crafts Awards 2025, organized by the Cabildo and the Art, Culture and Tourism Centers (CACT), with the aim of supporting the quality, profitability and survival of the island's traditional trades.
Visitors will be able to enjoy and purchase a wide variety of artisanal pieces on display and for sale, both traditional, such as peasant hats, clothing, Canarian knives, basketry or pottery, and contemporary, with lamps, designer textiles, innovative jewelry or decorative pieces that combine traditional techniques with current proposals. The fair will open its doors on Wednesday, September 10 at 5:30 p.m., and from the 11th it will remain open from 10:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., until Monday the 15th. Workshops that require registration can be booked from September 5, at 8:00 a.m., all information and programming is available on the official website artesaniadelanzarote.com.