The Feria de Abril is the great spring festival of Seville. It is usually held two or three weeks after Easter and, if Easter falls late, may slip into May. After the solemnity of Holy Week, it is time for joy: people dance, drink, eat and ride from morning till late at night.
Origins
The Feria began in 1847 as a livestock fair, created by two councillors, the Basque José María de Ybarra and the Catalan Narciso Bonaplata. Within a few years the tents for doing business had become meeting places, and the fair became a festival.
The Real de la Feria
The festival takes place on a dedicated site in the Los Remedios district, the Real de la Feria, a true temporary city of over a thousand casetas, red-and-white or green-and-white striped tents lined along streets named after bullfighters. The entrance is the portada, a huge monumental gateway lit by thousands of bulbs, with a new design every year. The festival begins at midnight with the alumbrao, the switching-on of the lights, and closes about a week later with fireworks over the river; exact dates are set each year by the city.
The casetas
Most casetas are private, belonging to families, groups of friends, associations or companies, and entry is by invitation only. There are, however, some public casetas open to all, run by the city, political parties and districts. Inside people dance sevillanas, eat tapas, pescaíto frito (fried fish) and ham, and drink rebujito, a mix of manzanilla, the dry wine of Sanlúcar, and lemonade (see sherry).
Horses, dresses and fun
By day, from about noon to 8 pm, the Real is crossed by riders in short jackets and Córdoba hats, with women riding pillion, and hundreds of horse-drawn carriages with decorated horses. Women wear the traje de flamenca, the ruffled, polka-dot dress with a flower in the hair, which follows the fashion each year. Next to the Real is the Calle del Infierno, the funfair with rides and buñuelos fritters. The main bullfighting season is held at the Real Maestranza bullring.
Tips
- The liveliest hours are afternoon and night; the Feria goes on until dawn.
- Without an invitation, look for the public district casetas, or go with a Sevillian friend.
- Hotels are expensive that week: book ahead.
- Learning at least the first steps of the sevillanas is the best way to feel part of the party (see Spanish dances).
Similar fairs inspired by Seville's are held all over Andalusia, such as the Horse Fair in Jerez in May and the Málaga Fair in August.