La Feria Insular de Artesania (Antigua Craft Fair) 2019

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

from Canarias7:

Manuel Hernández, until now an AM-CC spokesman and member of the executive who runs the City Council of Antigua, resigned this Wednesday from his areas of government in Urban Planning and Housing, as well as his mayor's act, for not agreeing to the transfer from the Insular Craft Fair to the Experimental Farm of Pozo Negro, according to Radio Sintonía.
The resignation occurs, according to the digital News Fuerteventura, after last Tuesday night the local AM-CC committee met, where it was agreed to maintain a "nonconforming position" with the transfer of the Insular Craft Fair.
A blow of effect against Mayor Matías Peña, who is finding less and less support for the controversial transfer, also rejected by the Masfasca Collective Foundation, founder and co-organizer of the fair.

from Tamara:
I misread the article I posted yesterday thinking it was a 'final decision'. In fact it was just one interested party's (founder & co-organisers!) position on the proposed transfer. I have to say I personally would like it to stay in it's location at the Cheese Museum, I think it would be 'lost' at Pozo Negro and loose a lot of it's charm.

[Captain Sensible]

The debate about where this year's fair will take place continues.  There has been another meeting at the Cheese Nuseum site and there is concern about the state of the tarmac at the site.  The current Cabildo and Ayuntamiento are blaming the thin layer of tarmac that was put on the site 5 years ago by previous administrations!

[TrickyFox]

Whilst I agree with Tamara in respect I would also prefer to see it stay at the cheese museum, does it not make more sense for it to go to Pozo Negro financially? No structure to erect, no infrastructure to alter (the roundabout), more car parking possibly.

[Captain Sensible]

Financially and access wise it does make more sense to move it.  It was moved 5 years ago from the sports area in Antigua to the Cheese Museum site.

They now have the new buildings at the Pozo Negro site and it's still in the Antigua Municipality.

[Sam]

It would also be more visible to many tourists just passing by to and from the south.

[Captain Sensible]

After a meeting today the Cabildo have agreed to put right the problems at the site of the Cheese Museum at a cost of 500,000€.  However, the work won't be completed until after the Summer, so the 2020 Craft Fair won't be held until October or November.

https://radiosintonia.com/la-feria-de-ar...PlB4ZIje1k

[Sam]

Just saw the news at Antigua's website. Here's the (Google) translation

Cabildo de Fuerteventura, Antigua City Council, Mafasca Collective and artisans agree to delay the dates of the Insular Feira de Artesanía to be held in Antigua.

• The Insular Craft Fair postpones its celebration to the last quarter of this year.

This Thursday afternoon, the mayor of Antigua, Matías Peña, summoned the artisans and representatives of the Mafasca Collective Foundation to decide together with the president of the Cabildo de Fuerteventura, Blas Acosta and the Infrastructure advisor, Sergio Lloret, the location of the Insular Craft Fair.

The president of the Cabildo de Fuerteventura confirmed that the current site does not meet the technical conditions to guarantee security, as the mayor of Antigua has been requiring, to hold the Insular Craft Fair without any risk to the thousands of attendees who visit the site . At this point, says the island president, Blas Acosta, we announce the integral conditioning of this site owned by the Cabildo de Fuerteventura, with an approximate investment of 500,000 euros, and an execution period that would not end until after the summer.

The proposal from the City Council of Antigua in common agreement with the Cabildo de Fuerteventura, explains the mayor, Matías Peña García, has been postponing the celebration of the Insular Craft Fair until the end of the work, when we have a safe, conditioned surface with a projection of use from years onwards.

This alternative has been well received by the artisans present at the meeting who consider an opportunity to check sales in a different season, as it is initially considered acceptable by the representatives of the Mafasca Collective Foundation who will propose the most appropriate date for the celebration of the Insular Craft Fair in the month of October or November foreseeably.

I thank the Cabildo de Fuerteventura for its commitment to the Insular Handicraft Fair proposing this important investment and the execution in record time of a site that goes beyond a thin layer of asphalting over a gavia as it was years ago, but it means emptying and sanitation of the land, as well as the final asphalting of the corrected firm.

Also participating in the meeting were the Minister of Industry, Commerce, Transport and Sustainable Mobility, María Dolores Negrín Pérez, the Councilor for Works and Services, Juan Cabrera Peña, and the Councillor for Culture, Education and Youth, Agustín Rodríguez, as well as representatives from the association of producers and artisans, Proarte de Fuerteventura.

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

Hmm, slightly different interpretation today in RTVAC:

THE MAFASCA COLLECTIVE REJECTS TO DELAY THE CRAFT INSULAR FAIR
The Mafasca Collective Foundation has decided to reject the proposal to postpone the 33rd edition of the Insular Craft Fair, in the absence of technical reports that force it to be delayed. In addition, the month of May is the date reserved for the Antigua Fair in the regional Calendar of craft fairs and its postponement would coincide with other similar Events, preventing the participation of many artisans.

The Assembly of the Mafasca Collective urgently requests the City Council of Antigua to take the necessary decisions for the celebration of the event in the month of May, for which there is very little time left. This need is aggravated by the possibility of receiving negative reports that impede the organization in the Cheese Museum, which should be considered retaking the location of the Municipal Sports Center, where Carnival parties have recently been held. He also reiterated his refusal to move his location outside the town of Antigua, unanimously stating that he will not participate in the organization of the Fair if the case arises.

This decision is taken after the meeting held last Thursday, February 13, in which representatives of the City Council of Antigua, the Cabildo de Fuerteventura, artisans attending the Fair and the Mafasca Collective Foundation itself participated. At the meeting, the Island Council of Fuerteventura proposed improvement works on the premises of the Cheese Museum, where the Insular Craft Fair has been held for several years. However, the insular corporation has so far not presented the justifying technical reports, necessary to make the decision as the municipal corporation of Antigua had stated in plenary session.