Going Crazy at the Fair

Alejandro told me about a fair that was being held over the weekend at Mexico City's "Palacio de Deportes" (Palace of Sports).  The event was sponsored by the government agency PRONAFIM.  The acronym stands for "Programa Nacional de Financiamiento al Microempresario"... National Program of Financing to Small Business Owners.  The organization also encourages women in rural areas to create their own enterprises. There were going to be more than 200 stands, and a large portion of them were family-run handicraft businesses.  If you have read this blog for any length of time, you know that I love shopping for handicrafts.  So when Alejandro suggested that we go there on Saturday, I said, "Sí, sí, sí !"

I went wild there.  I had over 1000 pesos on me, and by time we were done, I had 90 pesos left, and we were carrying a bunch of packages.  There was a wide variety of handicrafts from all over Mexico, and I really liked the fact that I was buying directly from the artisans who created the merchandise.

There were a couple of stands operated by member of the Huichol tribe of western Mexico.  They are famous for their beadwork and for their "God's Eyes".

You can see three of their "God's Eyes" hanging on the wall behind the gentleman in traditional Huichol attire.

I was very tempted by the little nativity scenes on the shelf.  But they were quite expensive, and rightly so, since the figures are all covered with intricate beadwork. 

The state of Chiapas was represented with a number of stands.

Amber jewelry

Objects carved from wood

Clothing hand-embroidered by Mayan women

Dolls in the costumes of various states of Mexico

Hand-woven hats from the town of Becal in Campeche.  These hats are made in caves where the humidity keeps the palm fronds pliable.  They are considered the finest hats in Mexico, and are rather expensive.  Alejandro wanted to buy one, but unfortunately the proprietor of the stand did not accept credit cards.

Handmade sandals from the state of Yucatán

Talavera pottery from the state of Puebla.

This weaver from the state of México (yes, there is a state called México within the nation of México) had set up his loom and was creating fabrics on site.

Besides the handicrafts there were a wide variety of businesses making artesanal products such as soaps, foods, and liquors.

Mountain coffee from the states of Puebla and Veracruz

Crystalized candies

Homemade jams, candies, sauces and liqueurs

We were almost ready to leave when we chatted with this family from Jalapa, Veracruz, who sells dolls dressed in traditional attire that they themselves sew.

I have written a number of times about my friend Irma who lives in Ohio, but who was born and raised in Jalapa.  I mentioned my friend, and it turns out that the sister on the left lives just a few blocks away from Irma's old family home, and knew Irma's father and brother.  What a small world!