José Reyes Llanos, Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism, inaugurated the “Artesanías del Perú – Magdalena del Mar” fair on March 19. The event, held at Plaza Túpac Amaru in the district of Magdalena del Mar, will be open to the public from March 19 to 22, between 9:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.
The fair coincides with the celebration of the Day of the Peruvian Artisan. It aims to highlight both the cultural and economic importance of artisan work in Peru. During the opening ceremony, Reyes Llanos invited people to visit the fair and said, “Es una oportunidad para conocer el talento de nuestros artesanos y adquirir piezas que reflejan la identidad del país.” He was joined by Francis Allison, Mayor of Magdalena.
Organized in coordination with the Municipality of Magdalena del Mar, the event brings together 30 exhibitors including companies, associations, and individual artisans. They are offering works in pottery and ceramics, jewelry making, leatherwork, vegetable fibers, religious imagery, goldsmithing and silversmithing, engraved gourds (mates burilados), metalwork, painting, wood carving, and textiles.
During the ceremony, members were sworn into the Local Council for Artisan Promotion of Magdalena (Colofar Magdalena), which was created by municipal ordinance in 2025. Reyes Llanos said this public-private collaboration would strengthen artisan management in the district. “Desde el Gobierno tenemos el compromiso de seguir trabajando de la mano con los gobiernos regionales, locales y con los artesanos para impulsar políticas que fortalezcan esta actividad que genera identidad, empleo y oportunidad para miles de familias peruanas,” he said.
The vice minister of Tourism Aracelly Laca also attended the inauguration. The Magdalena fair is one of four organized by Mincetur this year in Lima, Ayacucho and Cusco. The first was held earlier this month in Ancón; upcoming events include a fair from March 20 to 27 in Huamanga (Ayacucho) with forty artisans participating and another from March 20 to 29 called “Manos del VRAEM” in Kimbiri district (Cusco), featuring thirty associations and artisans from communities along the Apurímac, Ene and Mantaro rivers.
The Day of the Peruvian Artisan is celebrated every March 19 as established by Law No. 29073 on Artisanship Development. Regional governments and municipalities have also organized their own fairs for this occasion.
