The Cabildo of Lanzarote and La Graciosa reviews the 37th Lanzarote Craft Fair, held from September 10 to 15 in Mancha Blanca, Tinajo, which closed a new edition with a wide response from residents and visitors and 77,500 people counted during its six days.
The Fair brought together 140 artisans this year, once again turning Mancha Blanca into a great showcase of the traditional trades of the Canary Islands. The edition featured the hat-making as the protagonist of its monographic and had Uruguay as a guest country, incorporating a sample of its culture and traditions into the program.
Six days of crafts and culture
The activity of the stalls was complemented throughout the Fair by a program linked to culture, traditions, and heritage, with demonstrations and different proposals that brought artisanal trades closer to the public.
Among the events held was the second edition of the Lanzarote Craftsmanship Awards, which recognized the career, generational succession, and work carried out within the island's artisanal sector.
The Minister of Culture, Jesús Machín, highlighted that “the Fair once again demonstrates that craftsmanship is part of a cultural heritage that remains present in our society. During these days, we have had trades, music, and traditions in Mancha Blanca sharing the same space and reaching thousands of people”.
The Cabildo thanks the collaboration of the Tinajo City Council, the Art, Culture and Tourism Centers, and the various entities, groups, and professionals who participated in the organization and development of this 37th edition.
More than 200 books sold at the Publications Service stand
The public's response was also reflected in the Cabildo's Publishing Service space, which participated in the Fair alongside Lanzarote's publishing houses integrated into the Isla Literaria association. The stand maintained a constant influx during the different days and closed the edition with the sale of more than 200 books.
The space allowed for a wide selection of publications related to the islands and works by Canarian authors, giving visibility to Lanzarote's publishing production.
Among the titles, the main protagonist was La tunera y sus productos. El cultivo de la cochinilla en Lanzarote, published by the Publishing Service and presented last Friday, September 11, at the Mancha Blanca venue itself. The publication became the most requested book at the stand, arousing special interest for its content on the historical, agricultural, and ethnographic value of cochineal cultivation and the applications of the prickly pear in island culture.
Lanzarote Recicla unites craftsmanship and sustainability
Lanzarote Recicla was also present at the 37th Craft Fair with a space dedicated to environmental awareness, where the team directly assisted the public to inform about the correct separation of waste at source, circular economy, domestic composting, and the different environmental campaigns that are being developed on the island.
The participation allowed these environmental contents to be transferred to one of the events with the largest public attendance in Lanzarote, bringing practical habits related to waste reduction, reuse, and correct management closer to people. The space particularly focused on local craftsmanship as an ally of sustainability and zero waste, showing the possibilities of using materials that can have a second life.
This practical aspect included the participation of local artisans. Bárbara Torturro, from Turba de Papel, conducted two live demonstration workshops on recycling paper and cardboard and the techniques she later uses to create her pieces. For her part, Melina Emilce, from Mel & San, exhibited different creations made through upcycling, transforming plastics from disposable packaging into fashion accessories and complements.
The president of the Cabildo of Lanzarote and La Graciosa, Oswaldo Betancort, valued the response obtained and highlighted that “77,500 people having visited the Fair demonstrates the dimension this event has reached and, especially, the interest that our crafts continue to arouse”. “Behind each stall there are professionals who work all year round, knowledge passed down through generations, and also economic activity. The Fair allows all that work to have visibility and reach thousands of people directly,” he pointed out.
Betancort also thanked the work of the participating artisans, the staff involved in the organization, the Tinajo City Council, and the collaborating entities, as well as “the response from Lanzarote and from those who visit us, who have once again filled the Mancha Blanca venue during these days”.
For her part, the Minister of Crafts, Aroa Revelo, emphasized the sector's participation. “It has been six days of direct contact between our artisans and the public. We have seen a Fair with activity at the stalls, with sales, and with great interest in knowing the processes and the stories that exist behind each piece,” she stated.
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