La Feria Insular de Artesanía y Gastronomía en Vallehermoso: Tradición y Sabores locales.
Vallehermoso inaugurated the Insular Craft and Gastronomy Fair of La Gomera on Friday, July 11, within the framework of the Lustrous Festivities of the municipality, with a significant influx of public and a wide representation of artisan trades and gastronomic products from the archipelago, turning this space into a meeting point with tradition and local flavors.
The inaugural event took place in the afternoon, with an institutional tour of the different stands, followed by performances by the groups Coros and Danzas de La Gomera and Ecoss de La Gomera.
According to the mayor of Vallehermoso, Emiliano Coello, "the celebration of the Insular Craft and Gastronomy Fair within the framework of the Lustrous Festivities is a source of pride for the municipality." He emphasized the importance of the Cabildo de La Gomera, through the Crafts Area, including this event in the program, and highlighted the presence of over 50 stands with artisans from different islands, "which further enriches the event’s offerings." He also valued the wide representation of local gastronomy products, reaffirming Vallehermoso’s role as an insular reference in the artisanal and agri-food sector.
The insular Crafts Councilor, Cristina Ventura, pointed out that in this edition, equal prominence has been given to traditional crafts and agri-food products of La Gomera. "All of this, accompanied by a wide-ranging musical and cultural offering, aimed at encouraging the participation of all types of audiences, promoting the knowledge of local products, and supporting the work of artisans, whose items have great added value and deserve to be acquired and appreciated," she insisted.
The Insular Primary Sector Councilor, Noelia Morales, highlighted that Alimentos de La Gomera, in collaboration with the Canarian Institute of Agri-food Quality of the regional government and Rural Management (GMR Canarias), has provided a varied program focused on promoting the primary sector and local gastronomy at this fair. "During the three days of the event, attendees can enjoy booths with honey, wines, craft beers, and other products produced by agri-food industries on the island. In addition, workshops on the production of typical products such as almogrote or gomera cookies are offered, as well as tastings," she added.
This event, organized by the island Cabildo, under the brands of Crafts of La Gomera, Alimentos de La Gomera, and the La Gomera Biosphere Reserve, is supported by the Lustrous Festivities 2025 Commission, the six municipalities of the island, the Canarian Institute of Agri-food Quality of the Government of the Canary Islands, and the Volcanic Xperience brand, managed by GMR Canarias.
Wide space for artisanal and food sales
The fair includes stands with numerous artisan trades present in La Gomera, such as doll making and recycling of materials, making percussion musical instruments, traditional carpentry, leather goods, fabric decoration, jewelry, crochet, almazuelas, furniture upholstery, leather goods, glass decoration, fabric decoration, ceramics, ristra basketry, palm and crochet basketry, macramé, paper, and cardboard.
Artisans from other islands also join in modalities such as paper and cardboard, dressmaking, almazuelas, macramé, modeling, toy making, crochet and embroidery, cigars, Canary knives, traditional carpentry and miniatures, material recycling, glassware, leather goods, and shoemaking.
There are also stands from food companies with artisanal products such as sauces, jams, gofio balls with honey and almonds, pastries, chorizos, honey and derivatives, pickled and fermented vegetable products, quesadillas, chorizos, almogrotes, and rosquetes.
Programming of the Insular Craft and Gastronomy Fair
The event, which combines tradition, local flavors, and cultural activities, will take place on Friday, July 11, Saturday, July 12, and Sunday, July 13, with workshops, musical performances, and exhibitions. The programming includes proposals for all audiences, with special attention to dissemination, children’s participation, and the promotion of local products.
This Saturday, July 12, the fair will open its doors again at 10:30 a.m. and will continue with new live craft demonstrations, and a special live broadcast of Radio Rumberos starting at 11:30 a.m. At 12:00 p.m., the informative workshop ‘The search for our treasure’ will be offered, addressing topics of culture, conservation, artisanal fishing through games and shared learning between children and adults.
At 1:00 p.m., the workshop ‘The most tropical hour of the Canaries’ will be held, based on a presentation of tropical fruits grown in the Canaries with a guided tasting of these products and their applications in gourmet cuisine and trends in restoration, through the producer Sheila González. Also, the festive atmosphere will be enhanced with a musical parade by the group Los Nostálgicos, starting at 1:30 p.m.
The afternoon will include an educational workshop on the production of chácaras and drums at 5:00 p.m., followed by a performance by the group Coros and Danzas de La Gomera at 6:00 p.m. Later, at 6:30 p.m., there will be a tasting and tasting of artisanal beer Layla. The day will end with a musical performance by Regina Morales at 7:00 p.m.
The programming for Sunday, July 13, the last day of the fair, will include the inauguration of the exhibition ‘From the loom to the denim jeans’ at 11:00 a.m., offering a historical journey through the traditional and typical clothing of La Gomera, presented by its author, the gomeran Arón Morales.
Gastronomic proposals will be present with a workshop on the preparation of watercress stew at 12:00 p.m., and another on the production of gomera cookies at 1:00 p.m. At 1:30 p.m., the Regulatory Council of the Protected Designation of Origin Wines of La Gomera will offer a wine tasting, accompanied by live music from the group Ecoss de La Gomera. The official closing of the fair will be at 5:00 p.m.
