Do you like authentic crafts and traditional food? In that case, you can mark 21, 22 and 23 April in your agenda, to visit El Poble Nou de Benitatxell (or Benitachell). Because on these days they celebrate their Mitjafava Fest: the local bars and restaurants will offer their best products, authentic artisans will sell their own work and there will be many parallel activities.
The Mitjafava Fest starts on April 17 with the Jornadas Gastronómicas del Haba (Gastronomic Broad Bean Days): every day until April 21, another restaurant in the village offers dishes with broad beans, such as Arròs amb fava, (a local rice dish). On Friday, the 21st, from 8:00 pm there will be a show cooking by three renowned chefs. For more details you can look at the programme at https://www.elpoblenoudebenitatxell.com/es/agenda/1194-programacin-mitjafava-fest-2023.
That same Friday the Amata Arts&Crafts Fair opens. More than 20 artisans are expected to display and sell what they have made with their own hands and each stall will offer something different so there will be something for everyone. Many will set up a work table next to their stalls to show you the skill, patience and care with which they produce their pieces or to accept special orders. There will also be an exhibition of birds of prey with falconry demonstrations, in several workshops the younger visitors can make their own piece of crafts and take it home and a large number of board games will be set up.
You will find the fair in La Pau street and the organization is in the hands of Amata, an association of artisans that is particularly interested in preserving and improving the standard of crafts. The Town Hall has asked Amata to organize the fair because they guarantee that only Artesanía de Autor® is offered at its fairs, that is, the author of the products will be present at the stall. This year the association turns 25 and celebrates its anniversary with a contest of unique pieces, made by the participants of the fair. Visitors can vote for the piece that they think is the best, the prettiest or the most original.
The fair will open on Friday, 21 April, from 6 till 9 in the afternoon. The hours on Saturday 22 will be from 11 am till 9 pm and on Sunday 23 April from 11 am till 5 pm, without closing at midday. The complete programme and more information can be found at https://www.puebloartesano.es/benitatxell.
