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It's happened quite a few times in the past couple of years: I've booked and planned a trip, only to arrive and find out there was some huge local event going on that I knew nothing about.Sometimes it's annoying (likeshowing up in Liverpool on marathon day and trying to convince a grouchy taxi driver to try to find a way to your hotel). Other times it's incredibly fun (like booking a trip to Edinburgh during the Fringe Festival without even realizing it).
Thankfully, winding up in Seville during the city's Feria de Abril last year fell into the latter, “incredibly fun” category.
The Seville Feria de Abril
The Seville Feria is a weeklong fair/festival that takes places each year in April or May in Andalusia's largest city. The fair always begins two weeks after Semana Santa (the huge Holy Week celebration leading up to Easter) ends, and is probably unlike any “fair” you've ever been to before.
The Feria has its roots not in a festival, but actually in a livestock market.Back in the mid-1800s, people would come to Seville during this time of year to sell cattle and other animals. Over the years, the market took on a more festive feel, and eventually expanded from just a couple of days to a full-blown 6 days of celebrations.
Today, you won't find any cattle for sale at the Feria. What you'll find instead are horses, carriages, colorful casetas (tents), and traditional clothing worn by just about everyone. This means bright, colorful flamenco dresses for the ladies, and thetraje corto, or short suitwith wide-brimmed hat for the men.
Like I said, I arrived in Seville with no idea that this event was taking place. So imagine my confusion – and curiosity – when I began to see horse-drawn carriages filled with women in fancy dresses making their way through Seville's old town one afternoon.
I quickly did some Googling and found out about the Feria and the tradition of arriving to the fairgrounds in style, either by carriage or on horseback.
I also discovered that I could absolutely go check it out as a tourist.
Seville locals (and expats) will tell you that the Feria is kind of an insular event. This is because the casetas are mostly private, being owned by companies, groups of friends, political parties, religious groups, families, etc. Which means that unless you know someone, you probably won't be dancing and drinking the night away in any of these colorful tents.
But that doesn't mean that you shouldn't go check it out anyway.
Going to the Feria de Abril as a tourist
If you find yourself in Seville during the Feria de Abril, here are some tips for checking it out as a tourist.
Go on a free walking tour
Just inside the entrance to the fairgrounds (through the massive portada or main gate), you'll find an information booth. Here, you can pick up a map of the fairgrounds and some info about the Feria. Once or twice a day, you can also join a free walking tour around the fairgrounds with a local guide.
The tour is pretty basic, and it can be difficult to hear the guide if your group is large or if the part of the fairground you're in is particularly noisy. But it's a great way to get a feel for the Feria. You'll learn about the history of the festival,the outfits, and the casetas.
The guide will tell you about the first night of the Feria (always a Monday night) when the fair is officially “opened” and the fairgrounds and portada are lit up by thousands of lights. You'll also learn about the portada itself – the design is different each and every year.
The tour ends in one of the public casetas, where you can grab a drink or some food.
Visit a public caseta
Speaking of the casetas – I mentioned earlier that most are privately owned. But there are some larger public ones, too, where everyone is welcome. (If you grab a map of the Feria at the info booth, the public casetas will be marked.)
The public casetas are similar to the private ones – there's usually a bar, food for purchase, and music.I went in one to see what it was all about, but didn't stick around too long since I was on my own. The Feria is definitely a social affair, and I think hanging out in a caseta would be way morefun with friends.
Try the food (and drinks!)
On opening night of the Feria, fried fish – pescaíto – is the main thing on the menu. On the other days, the food offerings mainly depend on the individual caseta, butusually include a variety of tapas.
There are some typical Feria drinks that you'll find everywhere, though. Like manzanilla (a type of sherry) andrebujito (a mixture of manzanilla and lemonade).
For dessert, you'll definitely want to seek out some churros and chocolate.
Walk around and enjoy the atmosphere
My favorite part of the Feria was just walking around and soaking up the atmosphere. Afternoon at the Feria is the time to see and be seen – this is when you'll see everyone arriving in carriages and on horseback, and see ladies and families walking around in their Feria finest.
(Nighttime, on the other hand, is made for drinking and dancing and partying until the wee hours of the morning.)
I enjoyed wandering around and taking photos of the colorful casetas(there were more than 1,000 of them in 2015) and flamenco dresses, and watching the dancing. Because, even though people mostly dancesevillanas (local dances) within the casetas, it's not uncommon for the revelry to spill out into the streets.
There are other events and things going on during the Feria, too, such as nightly bullfights. I, however, do not condone bullfighting, and would never go to an event like that myself. So unfortunately I can't speak to that part of the Feria festivities.
I CAN say, though, that I had a lot of fun during the few hours I spent wandering aimlessly around the Feria grounds.
IF YOU GO
When: The Feria de Abril starts on a Monday evening roughly 2 weeks after Easter. The dates vary by year since Easter doesn't fall on the same date all the time, but it's usually in mid/late April or early May. In 2019, the dates will be May 6-12.
Where: The Feria happens at the Real de la Feria, which isin Los Remedios to the south-west of the city center, next to the river.
Getting there: Don't want to shell out for a carriage to drop you off? You can also take a taxi (expensive), the bus (much more economical), or simply walk. The closest metro stops arePlaza de Cuba and Parque de los Principes, or it takes a little over 30 minutes to walk from the Seville Cathedral. If you don't know the way, just follow the ladies in dresses!
What to wear: You certainly don't have to spend money on a flamenco dress or suit, but people DO tend to dress up to go to the Feria. I wore a dress with leggings, and the most dressed-down local man I saw still had on a button-down shirt and dress pants.
When to go: The festivities kick off after lunch time/early afternoon, and last well into the night – sometimes all night! I went in the late afternoon and stayed until about dinner time.
Where to stay: Anywhere within Seville's Old Town would be ideal for seeing all the best sites AND visiting the Feria. My picks would be:
From around midday until early evening - especially on Sunday, the first official day - Sevilla society parades around the fairground in carriages or on horseback. There are also daily bullfights , generally considered the best of the season. Then the eating, drinking and fancing continues into the small hours.
During the day it is very common to see men at the Seville Fair wearing what's called the traje corto (short jacket, tight trousers and boots) and a hat called cordobes, particularly those on horseback or driving carriages. Women on the other hand wear the traje de gitana or faralaes (typical flamenco style dress).
Spanish women love to dress up, especially when it comes to the feria! Many of them get their flamenco dress made to order. If you don't want to stay in their shadow, you should better take care of every detail of your look. Spanish chicas (girls) and chicos (boys) usually wear their best clothes to attend the fair.
To get into a caseta – nearly all the 1000-odd are privately-owned – you need an invitation. And to get an invitation, you need to know someone. So it pays to choose the right companion when you go to Spain's most famous festival, which started out as a livestock fair.
The daytime dresses tend to be lightweight and brightly colored.The evening dresses tend to be darker in color and are often worn with a warm sweater shawl. Many women attend multiple days (if not all) of the Feria and wear different dresses for each day.
The Flowers Festival (Spanish: Feria de las Flores) is a festival that takes place in Medellín, Colombia. The festival is the most important social event for the city and includes a pageant, automobiles, a Paso Fino horse parade and many musical concerts.
No visit to the festival would be complete without quenching your thirst with an authentic Spanish drink. The most popular of which is a Rebujito, which comprises of Manzanilla (a type of Sherry from the coastal village of Sanlúcar de Barrameda) and Fino Sherry from Jerez de la Frontera mixed with soft drinks.
At feria de abril they eat traditinal spanish food and drinks here are some of them: calamares con salsa ali-oli (fried squid with garlic sauce) ● fried prawns ● red mullets ● Clams ● Jamón tis is a type of ham it comes with sheep chese.
Is there a dress code for Seville Cathedral? Visitors are asked to dress appropriately. This means no shorts or vest tops for either gender. As this is a place of worship be respectful.
Jeans are very popular here in every style and worn throughout the year and will serve as a versatile base to your wardrobe. Wear them with cool layers such as camisoles or a t-shirt and light cardigan for the summer, or warmer ones e.g. a long sleeved shirt and sweater in the winter.
Spain Packing List for Winter. When deciding what to wear in Spain, pack at least a pair of jeans and a pair of thick leggings. If you plan to explore the north of Spain where some of the most fantastic cities are – like Bilbao, San Sebastian, and Asturias you may even want to layer your leggings underneath your jeans.
DO: wear denim. Shorts, jeans, jackets and shirts, they're all welcome at festivals and make an easy go-to if you're unsure what to wear but stil want to look cool.
The defining feature of the traje de Gitana (feria dress) is ruffles– volantes– down the skirt, and often on the sleeves. These ruffles are great for producing a little more visual drama while dancing sevillanas (a flamenco-style dance especially intended for these festivals.)
The fair generally begins two weeks after the Semana Santa, or Easter Holy Week. The fair officially begins at midnight on Saturday, and runs seven days, ending on the following Saturday.
The Feria has over 1,000 casetas (literally small houses), green or red-and-white striped tents of varying sizes arranged along 15 streets. Each caseta has its own name on the front, and belongs to a local family, group of friends, business, club, trade association or political party.
Lightweight Clothing Is What to Wear to a Beer Festival
Try to pick out clothes like knits or cotton which are breathable and airy. Sometimes the best course of action is to stick with a comfortable t-shirt and shorts. This will be best if you want to enjoy any fun rides or other activities.
Similar to many other European countries, Spaniards dress more conservatively. Think pants, long skirts, collared shirts. These rules apply to both men and women.
If you are a lover of classic and old cars, you will be able to enjoy a parade in which cars from different generations are proudly displayed by their owners. The cars criss-cross the city on the day before the main event of the La Feria, and the streets are lined with enthusiastic spectators.
Along the parade routes and at other events, you can find many souvenirs typical of small towns in Antioquia such as hats and ponchos. There are also plenty of food and drink stands offering typical Colombian food such as chuzos (meat on a skewer), chorizo (a typical sausage), and arepa (a corn pancake).
Agua de Sevilla is a drink typically consumed mostly in the region of Seville, Spain. It is considered "a mild and tasty typical drink" and can be found in numerous nightclubs in Seville. Recipes instruct to crush the ice until it is shaved and serve in champagne glasses with a leaf of hierba buena.
Spring fairs enliven towns throughout Spain, but I've found that nobody does it bigger or better than Sevilla, the capital of Spain's Andalucía region. If you come in April, you'll find one of the most exuberant and colorful festivals in a country known for fiestas — the gigantic Feria de April (April Fair).
This night receives its name from the tradition of – you guessed it – eating fried fish on the first night of Feria. On the Feria grounds, red- and green-striped casetas, or tents, line streets named after famous toreros sevillanos, or Sevillian bullfighters.
NO8DO is the official motto of Seville, popularly believed to be a rebus signifying the Spanish No me ha dejado, meaning "She [Seville] has not abandoned me".
Seville's Feria de Abril. In April, the most fabulous and colourful of all Andalusia's ferias (fairs) takes place in Seville. For six nights, Sevillanos dress up in elaborate clothes, parade around in horse-drawn carriages, eat, drink and dance till dawn.
Usually from sunset until dawn, especially from Thursday to Sunday. Liven up around midnight until 2/4am, closing at 5/6am. In the city centre of the main towns, bars that are not labelled as “discos” close around 3 am.
When visiting the Cathedral of Seville, make sure you reserve your tickets in advance. Book them online and avoid having to wait outside in a long line. Also, be sure to check the cathedral's opening times since they are very irregular.
When going to church, it's best to wear closed-toe, low-heeled heels. If you're going to be wearing pants, a basic ankle boot is fine as well. Avoid wearing flip-flops, old sneakers, and other extremely casual footwear. Service attire includes either heels or flats.
During Feria del Caballo, you can watch cowboy and classical dressage, riding competitions and polo, but the highlight is the parade of carriages, also known as enganches. English, Hungarian, Russian and Spanish style carriages, richly decorated, are paraded around the park and then along the streets.
The Feria de Cali (December 25-31) is an end of year homecoming festival for Caleños, or Cali natives, the world over, and it has everything a Colombian party should: parades, concerts, and plenty of dancing.
The Seville April Fair, also called Feria de Abril is the most important cultural festival in the city, together with the celebration of Easter. More than 1,000,000 people come every year to celebrate, dance, east, and meet friends.
Easily the most important festival in Medellin, La Feria de las Flores combines horse riding, vintage car parades, flower-decorating and copious alcohol consumption. It's a week long affair taking place annually in August, a month in which Medellin typically basks in beautiful weather.
At feria de abril they eat traditinal spanish food and drinks here are some of them: calamares con salsa ali-oli (fried squid with garlic sauce) ● fried prawns ● red mullets ● Clams ● Jamón tis is a type of ham it comes with sheep chese.
Fiesta del Sol is a celebration of what people can do when they work together; a celebration of the beauty in Latino heritage, history, culture, language and ambition; and a celebration about the future.
The town's Feria del Caballo - horse fair - is a tradition that goes back to medieval times, when buyers and sellers gathered in Jerez to trade in the finest horses. Afterward, they'd drink to celebrate deals made. Today, only the festivities remain, lasting an entire week in May.
Events such as bullfights, beauty pageants, fashion shows, concerts by some of the most famous musicians in the world, and, of course, salsa festivals are held during the Fair.
The June Fair or Feria Juniana in San Pedro Sula is another occasion to party after La Ceiba Carnival is over. This festival is held during the whole month and most of the events are associated with the festival patron saint of the city—St.Peter the Apostle.
The fair generally begins two weeks after the Semana Santa, or Easter Holy Week. The fair officially begins at midnight on Saturday, and runs seven days, ending on the following Saturday.
Typically, during Feria, the cities host bullfights, open up a large fairground with rides, food courts, and also hundreds of casetas are open to the public. The casetas are probably the most incredible thing to see.
The Feria de Abril is the most popular celebration in the city and it balances out the darkness and sadness of the Semana Santa (another awesome event) as it is a colorful and cheerful festival. It is unbelievable how in just a few weeks Sevillanos go from penance to redemption.
Introduction: My name is Terence Hammes MD, I am a inexpensive, energetic, jolly, faithful, cheerful, proud, rich person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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