Spring has sprung and Andalucía is celebrating at the “Ferias”

Scents of orange blossom and jasmine, flashes of colour from the spotted dresses that swish through the brightly coloured, elaborately decorated casetas, streets and bullrings resounding with the thunder of hooves the plucking of guitar strings, the snapping of fingers, laughter, and the heady sound of the Sevillanas. It is springtime in Andalusia. Andalusia is famous for its “ferias” (fairs) throughout the year, but in springtime it excels itself.

Two weeks after the solemnity of Semana Santa, the streets of Seville explode in a six day celebration at the annual Spring fair which goes back to 1847, originally as a livestock fair, but is now purely about celebration. Every morning, exquisitely clad people dressed in the bright colours of Andalusian traditional dress (the men in “Traje de corto”:short jacket, high waisted well cut trousers and wide brimmed hat and the women in the “traje de gitano” : Flamenco dresses in beautiful coloured polka dots draped with shawls, hair piled high with combs or brilliant flowers) take to the street in huge horse and carriage parades to display their finery. From here they move on to champion the bullfighters competing in the finals of ongoing bullfights throughout the region. Later, people flock to a huge expanse of the city filled with fairground attractions and streets lined with over a thousand  brightly coloured striped and highly decorated “casetas” (elaborate marquees) which host mainly private parties . Guests in these casetas celebrate with their hosts and enjoy “Rebujito” (a sherry and lemonade cocktail), tapas and dance the Sevillana late into the night.  

A week later the “Jerez horse fair” bursts onto the scene. The streets of Jerez teem with eye-catching horses carrying beautiful  traditionally dressed riders who parade down the Paseo de Caballostas y Enganches (Carriage and riders avenue).  This feria was also originally a livestock fair, particularly for horses (Andalucian horses are famous for their pedigree) and it has been in existence for over 500 years. Like the spring fair it is also a chance for the locals to mingle, dance and celebrate. The casetas, which also line the streets, are more inclusive in Jerez: all are open to the public and you will be welcomed in to drink their famous sherry or to try typical Andalucian tapas or cooking.  52,000 metres square of the city fills with a fairground and the horse parade grounds, and the most beautiful Andalucían horses parade daily in a unique display of elegance and majesty.  

As April ends and the other fairs fade out, Cordoba bursts into bloom with its celebration of the “Crosses” and then “Courtyards”. Neighbourhoods compete for the best decorated 3 metre tall crosses which are swathed usually in red or white flowers. They also throw open their brightly decorated private courtyards. These courtyards dazzle with  geraniums, petunias and other vividly coloured flowers in azure or terracotta pots, in contrast to the starkly beautiful crisp white walls that they adorn. The streets are filled with music and dance and there are many opportunities to taste the local Montilla-Moriles fino wine and tapas. Cordoba goes on to host several large ferias and other smaller ferias crop up  across the region.  A trip to Andalucía in springtime is always rewarding : the area bursts into life with the colour and vibrancy of its ferias, a fitting metaphor for  Spring itself.