By late December, northern Kerala slips into an easy rhythm. The light softens, evenings stretch longer, and villages prepare for visitors escaping colder parts of the country. In Iringal, near Vadakara in Kozhikode district, this seasonal shift signals something more. The Sargaalaya International Arts & Crafts Festival, now in its 13th year, returns from December 23, 2025, to January 11, 2026, turning a quiet crafts village into one of South India’s most engaging cultural gatherings.
Iringal is conveniently located near Kozhikode and Vadakara railway stations, as well as Kozhikode and Kannur International Airports. Held at the Sargaalaya Kerala Arts & Crafts Village, the festival is expected to draw over two lakh visitors this year. But numbers only tell part of the story. What keeps people coming back is the feeling that this is not a pop-up event built for photographs, but a place where craft is lived, debated, cooked for and performed.
Sargaalaya works because it exists long before the festival banners go up. Managed by the Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative Society Ltd., a 100-year-old cooperative, the village supports artisans throughout the year. Potters, weavers, bamboo workers, mural painters, and metal craftsmen work here in studios that feel more like open homes than workshops.
During SIACF, that everyday world expands. Nearly 200 artisans from over 18 Indian states and 15+ countries such as Egypt, Iran, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Russia, Uzbekistan, and Taiwan arrive with their tools, textiles and stories. More than 100 stalls take shape across the grounds, forming handloom and craft-themed arenas where it is common to see someone weaving, carving or moulding while answering questions from curious onlookers.
There is no hurry here. Visitors pause to watch a kasavu border take form, or to understand how coconut shells are turned into jewellery. GI-tagged products and work by national and state award-winning artisans are given special attention, not as luxury items, but as living traditions trying to survive modern markets.
As daylight fades, the festival loosens its pace. Performances begin across open-air stages, mixing classical dance, folk forms and contemporary music. There is no single spotlight moment; instead, evenings unfold gently, encouraging people to wander, stop, listen and move on.
Food plays an equally important role. The Kerala Food Festival pulls crowds with familiar comfort dishes made using local ingredients and old recipes, alongside flavours from other Indian states. Meals here are rarely rushed. People sit, talk, compare what they bought, and plan another round through the stalls.
Fashion shows reinterpret handloom textiles for present-day wardrobes, while children’s fashion segments add a lighter, playful note. The flower show brings colour to quiet corners of the village, and boating on the backwaters remains a favourite break, especially around sunset, when Iringal briefly forgets the crowds and returns to its calmer self.
SIACF is often described as a crafts festival, but it functions just as much as a meeting point for ideas. Supported by the Development Commissioner of Handicrafts, Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, the Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala, NABARD, the festival places rural livelihoods firmly within the tourism conversation.
Tourism expos, talk shows and discussions explore how crafts can remain relevant without losing their character. The Tourism Expo, scheduled from January 6 to 11, 2026, brings together planners, designers and local stakeholders thinking about Kerala’s future as a culture-led destination.
For artisans, the festival offers visibility, income and, perhaps most importantly, direct feedback from people who use and value handmade work. For visitors, it offers something increasingly rare: time. Time to talk to makers, to understand how things are made, and to carry home objects that mean more than their price tag. For anyone willing to slow down this winter, Sargaalaya is where those conversations quietly unfold.
1. What is SIACF 2025–26 and where is it held?
SIACF is the Sargaalaya International Arts & Crafts Festival held at the Sargaalaya Kerala Arts & Crafts Village in Iringal, near Vadakara in Kozhikode district.
2. When does SIACF 2025–26 take place?
The festival runs from December 23, 2025, to January 11, 2026, coinciding with Kerala’s winter travel season.
3. What can visitors experience at the Sargaalaya festival?
Visitors can explore craft stalls, watch artisans at work, attend cultural performances, enjoy Kerala cuisine, shop for GI-tagged products and relax by the backwaters.
4. How many artisans participate in SIACF?
Nearly 200 artisans from over 18 Indian states and more than 15 countries participate, making it a truly international crafts gathering.
5. Is SIACF suitable for families and children?
Yes. The festival features children’s fashion shows, open spaces, food courts and interactive craft demonstrations, making it suitable for all age groups.