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Feria de Abril (The Seville Fair)
by Staff, Kristen Smith

There are few better places to spend the month of April than in Seville. La Feria de Abril, Sevilla, or the Seville Fair, is a highlight of the year not only for the city but also for the whole country of Spain. The fair begins exactly two weeks after Semana Santa and lasts for six days. It begins at midnight on Monday with the lighting inauguration and lasts until the following Saturday night with a fireworks display. Originally in the 19th Century, the celebration was livestock and cattle fair filled with tents or casetas, that were used for socializing. Since then, tradition has greatly evolved.

 

Feria de Abril celebration

https://festoonhouse.com.au/fairy-lights/

 

Schools are closed and many people do not go into work during the week of Feria. Tuesday is the official first day of the festival where there are parades on horseback, women wearing beautiful Flamenco dresses, and couples dancing Sevillanas.

women wearing beautiful Flamenco dresses, and couples dancing Sevillanas

Feria is also the week where some of the top bullfights take place at Plaza de Toros. The fairgrounds have many amusement park rides and a major part of the festival is the casetas. There are over 1,000 casetas, most are privately owned by families, but there are some that are open to the public. In the casetas, families and friends socialize, drink, eat tapas, and dance together for hours. Feria is essentially six days of socializing, dancing, and partying with friends and family, and if you’re lucky enough to get an invitation to a private caseta, you’ll get to join in on the fun and experience an impressive Spanish tradition.

Plaza de Toros at night

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