Seville April Fair - Feria de Abril
Seville's April Fair (La Feria de
Abril) is a huge annual event on the extensive list of festivals
taking place in the city.
The fair officially begins on Monday at midnight, normally 2
weeks after Semana Santa (Holy Week), and ends with a fireworks
display the following Sunday, again, at midnight.
In
2007 the
dates of this fiesta are from April 24th to 29th.
In 2008 we believe it will be 8th-13th April (to be confirmed). It was the poet Byron who referred to Seville as being famous
for its oranges and women. Seeing the local girls at the Fair
in their colourful flamenco dresses it is easy to understand his
attraction. The city is overbooked well in advance for this event as
thousand of locals and visitors alike party until dawn.
Search
here for a
hotel in
Seville. There
are over 1000 marquees, known as 'casetas' at the event site, most
of which have ongoing flamenco performances, loud music and a bar.
As you can imagine, 'the craic is mighty'. As well as flamenco,
the other main themes of the party are horses and bullfighting in
what is so clearly a typical Spanish affair. At noon every day there is a procession called the
'Paseo de Caballos' in which local girls in their full flamenco
outfit are pulled through the city in beautiful carriages by
splendid horses. In the evening some of the year's top
bullfights take place at the Plaza de Toros de Maestranza with
tickets selling out well in advance.
The venue for the fair is the 'Real de la Feria' just outside
the city centre opposite the Maria Luisa park. Such is the enormity
of the event that this area becomes a city in its own right for just
one week. Next to the site is a huge fairground with all the
usual rides and attractions.
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