The Cabildo de Lanzarote has unveiled Raíces Atlánticas. Feria de las Tradiciones de Lanzarote y La Graciosa, a new cultural proposal designed to celebrate the islands' identity from an open, contemporary, and inclusive perspective. Under the motto "Come and experience what we are and what unites us," the exhibition offers a journey through the traditions, crafts, music, gastronomy, popular culture, and shared memory of Lanzarote and La Graciosa, also incorporating the cultural richness of those who are now part of the island society.
The fair proposes a program for all audiences, with activities linked to crafts, traditional and popular music, gastronomy, cultural expressions of Atlantic roots, trades, workshops, exhibitions, and participatory gatherings. The main objective is to create a space for coexistence where tradition dialogues with the multicultural reality of contemporary Lanzarote. This first edition is supported by the Department of Economic Promotion and the Art, Culture and Tourism Centers of Lanzarote.
The fair will kick off on Wednesday, May 13, with the inaugural event and the performance Arife. Cantos de Tierra, at 8:00 PM in the Plaza de Las Palmas. On Thursday, May 14, the program will include workshops on traditional crafts, such as traditional pottery and limpet playing, as well as traditional Canarian games, heritage walks through Arrecife, oral tradition gatherings, and a youth and senior wrestling match. The day will also feature the musical proposal De Portonao a La Graciosa and a performance by Acatife, titled Identidad.
On Friday, May 15, the fair will continue with participatory activities such as the workshop El hilo que cruza el Atlántico and the traditional cheese-making workshop, new sessions of traditional games, heritage walks, and oral tradition proposals like Una noche de leyenda. The program will also incorporate cultural expressions of Atlantic and Latin American roots with Soy Colombia, by La Diosa del Sabor and Acciones Unidas, as well as exhibitions and workshops of the 'juego de la lata'. Music will play a prominent role with a performance by the A.F. Coros y Danzas de Arrecife and a concert by Taburiente.
On Saturday, May 16, the program will open in the morning with family and educational proposals, such as the workshop Colgante Tifinagh, promoted by the Juan Brito Foundation, and a recognition of children's and youth literature in the activity Una isla, muchos cuentos. The day will also include exhibitions of shepherd's leap, stick game, and 'juego de la lata', 'parranda' performances, rosette workshops, heritage walks, oral tradition with Romances del Atlántico, music from the Tías Municipal School of Music, and scenic proposals such as Entre Isas y Mañas, with Los Campesinos, Ignacio Romero, and Lucha Canaria. The fair will conclude its musical program with a performance by Bohemia Lanzarote.
In addition to the daily activities, Raíces Atlánticas will feature several permanent spaces during the celebration days. These include the Gastronomic Zone in José Ramírez Cerdá Park; the Sabores del Puerto route, where local bars and restaurants will offer tapas made with zero-kilometer products; the educational space Juego al Campesino, dedicated to agricultural heritage; and the Traditional Craft Market in La Recova. The program is completed with the exhibition Sonidos Vagabundos, which can be visited at the Casa de la Cultura Agustín de la Hoz from May 13 to June 13, and with Portonao Escénico, an audiovisual projection that will take place in the Plaza de Las Palmas from May 13 to 16. Activities requiring prior registration can be booked through raicesatlanticas.com starting May 6 at 9:00 AM.
