The Feria Tricontinental de Artesanía is back at the Recinto Ferial de Tenerife, bringing together more than 200 artisans from Europe, Africa and the Americas for ten days of traditional crafts, demonstrations and cultural events.
The eighth edition opened on Saturday 24 October, attracting plenty of visitors on its first day. This year, Mexico is the guest country, with its culture taking centre stage during the opening gala, Viva México.
Directed by Juan Carlos Armas and accompanied by the Bandas Las Candelas, the show celebrated Mexican culture and identity, drawing a large crowd to the main stage.
Tenerife Cabildo president Rosa Dávila welcomed the strong start, describing the fair as much more than a place to display and sell handmade products. She highlighted its role in supporting local economies, encouraging entrepreneurship and keeping traditional skills and cultural heritage alive.
Efraín Medina, the island councillor for Employment, Education and Youth, also pointed to the importance of passing traditional crafts on to younger generations. With more than 200 artisans taking part, the fair offers visitors a chance to discover techniques and skills that might otherwise gradually disappear.
Traditional crafts you can try yourself
Alongside the stalls and live demonstrations, visitors can take part in workshops designed to bring traditional skills to life.
Tenerife artisan Daniel Castro Hernández gave a masterclass in traditional local knife-making, showing visitors some of the techniques involved in working with metal.
There were activities for families too. Costa Rican artisan Lourdes Fraser helped children make and decorate colourful traditional masks from Costa Rica, while Tenerife educators María Candelaria Acosta and Francisca Afonso led a workshop where adults could create paper patterns based on traditional Canarian clothing.
It’s a good opportunity to see how much work goes into these crafts, rather than simply admiring the finished products on a stall.
Free entry until 2 November
The fair continues until Monday 2 November, with daily activities, free workshops, live demonstrations and parades.
Artisans from across three continents are showcasing their work, making this a chance to discover everything from traditional techniques to crafts that reflect different cultures and generations.
Entry is free, so there’s no need to buy a ticket before visiting.