Over the last three days, around 40,000 people have passed through the Handicraft and Gastronomy of Vila Nova de Famalicão, which runs until September 10, at the renovated Praça Mouzinho de Albuquerque. The biggest crowd was this Sunday, with 16,000 people passing through the event on the day of Paulo Gonzo's concert.
These are numbers that leave the mayor, Mário Passos, satisfied, as he took advantage of the first day of the event to get to know the work of the almost 100 exhibitors who are taking part in this year's edition of the Fair, coming from various parts of the country to represent the arts, flavours, crafts and traditions of our country.
In a year in which the fair has seen some changes to the site and an increase in the number of exhibitors and certified artisans and producers, Mário Passos speaks of a "much more attractive" fair, which is reflected in the number of visitors who have passed through the site, but also in the "generalised satisfaction" among exhibitors.
"I'm very excited and very satisfied and we're only in the first few days. Until Sunday, there's a lot to see at our Crafts and Gastronomy Fair," he added.
The Famalicão Handicrafts and Gastronomy Fair is free to enter. It's ten days of meeting and reconnecting with Portugal's most ancient traditions, uses and customs. The artisans' live work is one of the event's strong points, but there is no shortage of entertainment either, with daily musical shows to suit all tastes. Aurea (September 05) and Zé Amaro (September 07) are some of the names that will be taking to the stage.
The programme for this year's Famalicão Handicrafts and Gastronomy Fair is available at www.famalicao.pt.