Agro-industrial fairs in Havana have replaced the old people's fairs, but their sky-high prices make them unaffordable for many. Last Saturday, a visitor bought eggs at a cost equivalent to half an average wage. These fairs offer everything from root vegetables to home appliances, drawing crowds to parks like John Lennon's.
In a photo feature published by Havana Times on October 23, 2025, photographer Irina Pino recounts her visit to one of these fairs the previous Saturday. They are no longer called people's fairs but agro-industrial ones, with sky-high prices that do not fit everyone's pocket, similar to those at agricultural markets.
Pino needed eggs and found a carton of 30 selling for 2,600 to 2,800 pesos, sometimes over 3,000, equivalent to half an average wage and nearly all of most pensions. The fairs sell everything from root vegetables to home appliances, items scarce in state stores. The author questions who sets the prices: MIPYMEs (small and medium-sized private businesses), people bringing goods from abroad, or others? For appliances, she notes it's impossible to answer if they come with a warranty.
She dislikes their setup in parks, where people trample the grass and leave it dirty. She saw vendors walking around offering goods as if nothing were wrong, though two police officers were checking a vendor's permit papers. One sad detail was a children's inflatable bounce house charging 50 pesos for just a few minutes, rather than being free.
The fair at John Lennon Park, on 17th Street between 6th and 8th in Vedado, is one of the most popular. Pino imagines that if the musician saw the madness of the crowd, he wouldn't like it one bit. The article features 12 photos capturing this vibrant yet controversial scene in Cuba's capital.