Seville’s Annual Fair (Feria)

Two weeks after Semana Santa (Easter week) major Spanish cities celebrate the coming of spring with a massive celebratory fair called a Feria and we had the opportunity to visit this in Seville. Generally held over a week, individuals and companies hire casetas (translated as small houses but to us they are marquees) and parade in their finest Spanish flamenco outfits and show off their horse and carriages before sitting down to an afternoon and evening of food, drink, song and dancing. The vast area is specifically sectioned off from the town, traffic is diverted and businesses close for the week. The festivities begin just after midnight on Monday with a huge funfair and the local Mayor or dignatory opening proceedings; casetas open from midday each day and remain open until the early hours of the next morning every day, finishing the Saturday night at midnight with a huge firework display announcing the closure of the feria. Gateways are specifically built to signal the entrance to the feria, sadly we did not get to see them lit up at night.

Tradition says the more horses that pull your carriage, the higher up the social scale you are; liveried drivers are dressed to match the carriage and horses are prettied, primped and primed to look their very best. Horses are checked before entering the area, water troughs are abundant and horse security men tour each road ensuring the horses are well looked after and not mistreated. Carriages tour the streets before the drivers drop the occupants off outside their casetas, crossroads become a busy junction where carriages and horseback riders cross in front of each other before heading up another street to parade. Individual families also show off their horsemanship by riding solo, ladies are always riding side saddle and horses are just as smartly dressed as those pulling carriages.

The casetas themselves are impressive; we learned that individuals take out Feria loans to pay for this event! Some are simply one width (approx.. 8m wide) all are the same depth, dressed internally as though they are hosting a wedding; food and drink areas are at the back, and there is often a stage midway down where dancing takes place later in the evening. Companies and societies often have huge casetas, up to 200m wide with tables and chairs, bar and catering for hundreds of people. All are dressed differently, some with themes and some simply with flowers, tables and chairs.

A funfair is also attached to the Feria, with so many stalls, rides, games and childrens rides that it beats the biggest British funfair I have ever been to! We took a ride in one of the two ferris wheels to appreciate the size of the whole event, impressive beyond words!

The atmosphere was also something that we cannot describe; in the UK we have nothing that compares with this event. Royal Ascot is similar in size and tradition but the feria is much more personal as well as it being a community affair. The only noise is the wooden wheels on the cobbled streets, laughter, greetings, horses, children and the shouts and screams from funfair rides; smells are of sweaty horses, food, drink and the funfair.however, everyone has a great time regardless of age.