Between December 6 and 8, the historic centre of Ribadavia will host the initiative Artesanía, saber e sabor (“Crafts, Knowledge and Flavour”), which will include a Christmas market featuring Galician Crafts and Food Crafts, as well as activities for all audiences, such as workshops for families and professionals, tastings, samplings, dancing, music and raffles. This initiative, promoted by the Regional Ministry of Employment, Commerce and Emigration and the Regional Ministry of Rural Affairs, will serve as the starting point for the Vilas Vivas project, which the Xunta will launch in 2025 with the aim of strengthening the commercial revitalisation of towns and county capitals across Galicia.
Artesanía, saber e sabor aims to highlight Galician craftsmanship and high-quality agri-food products, exploring new experiences for their commercialisation through the temporary use of various commercial premises in the town’s historic centre —opened to the public for this event— and the Magdalena church. In addition, over the three days, the initiative will bring together more than twenty artisans and workshops affiliated with the Artesanía de Galicia brand.
Opening hours will be from 11:00 to 14:00 and from 16:00 to 20:00, and the Galician Crafts market will take place in the church of Santa María de Magdalena. It will feature 10 artisan exhibitors registered in the General Register of Galician Crafts, representing sectors such as pottery and ceramics, costume jewellery, jewellery, leather, knitting, felt and fashion-related crafts.
These include Alfarería Lista, Contraform, Ferraxe de Prata, Jatafarta, Laura Triñanes, Logaro, Lumecú, María Monsalve, Mundaya and O Covil. In addition, there will be two exhibitors in a space dedicated to ceramic workshops: Nerea Carpente of Peixe Nero and Carlos San Claudio. These artisans come from Untes, Vilar de Santos, Ourense, Malpica de Bergantiños, Santiago de Compostela, Teo, Monterroso, Covelo and Vigo.
As for the workshops, they will be held in various locations of Ribadavia’s old town and will be open to all audiences. Some will focus on producing Christmas-related items, such as floral arrangement demonstrations by Verónica Souto from Floradeira (Paderne); workshops on creating “sanandresiños” led by Jorge Bellón (Santo André de Teixido, Cedeira); pottery wheel workshops by Nerea Carpente of Peixe Nero (Covelo) and Carlos San Claudio (Cyanotypes); cyanotype and gyotaku workshops led by Peixesapop (Vigo); and postcard printing workshops by Sandra Betanzos from Amor ó teu.
Other courses will also be offered, requiring prior registration on the Artesanía de Galicia website, artesaniadegalicia.xunta.gal. These include the courses on Making a Christmas wreath and Making a table centrepiece, taught by Floradeira; workshops on Creating lanterns with stamp printing and Fabric printing with screen-printing, taught by Amor ó teu; and a drawing workshop led by Catalina Rodríguez.
Food Crafts
The Food Crafts market will be held in the Praza Maior, featuring small companies that produce and sell items certified under the Food Crafts label in sectors covered by the corresponding technical standard. There will be cheeses, ice creams, honey, sausages and other meat products, jams and other vegetable preserves, beers, cider, olive oil, chocolate and cocoa derivatives, among others.
In addition, visitors to Ribadavia during the event will also enjoy other activities that will help revitalise the area, such as workshops for the general public and professionals, tastings, samplings, dancing, music and raffles of Food Crafts products. The programme also includes activities for children.
