This year marks a first, with ceramists from the Azores and Madeira joining the event.

More than a simple market, the exhibition is described by organisers, the association O Bairro na Mão do Oleiro, as “a meeting place, a space for learning, and a celebration of Portuguese pottery heritage.”

Held in the Luís de Camões Garden, in the heart of Leiria, the event offers visitors direct contact with master artisans while also featuring a varied cultural programme. Alongside the exhibition and sale of works, the aim is to reinforce “the role of clay as an identity marker of Portuguese culture, as well as a resource with artistic, economic and educational potential.”

Representing the islands are Isabel Silva Melo, from São Miguel in the Azores, and Miguel Ramos, from Funchal, Madeira. Their participation is considered a milestone in the history of the event. “By welcoming an exceptional group of ceramists, now extended to the islands, we are consolidating the excellence of the exhibition and affirming it as a national reference, both for visitors and for artisans,” said curator Alexandre Correia.

The programme includes pottery workshops, the presentation of the photographic book A Arte do Barraco, by photojournalist Nuno Andre Ferreira, and an exhibition dedicated to Bajouca pottery.

Cultural highlights include a performance by the Pauliteiros de Mirande on 6 September, followed on 7 September by Alentejo choral groups Os da Boina from Estremoz, Leiria’s Trio Marabilha, and cante alentejo singing.

With techniques ranging from traditional forms to innovative colour treatments, the exhibition promises to transform Leiria into an open-air museum dedicated entirely to the art of clay.