Along with Semana Santa, Feria de Abril (April Fair) is one of my two favorite weeks in Sevilla. Feria is a celebration of spring and the coming of summer. Typically, it takes place two weeks after Semana Santa and will be your second of two weeks off school. Essentially, a small city of private tents (casetas) is constructed on the fairgrounds along with a huge area for your typical fair games, rides, and attractions. All the streets are named after bullfighters and are lined with lights and paper lanterns. At the main entrance of the fair grounds a giant gate is constructed covered with lights. The fair begins at midnight of Monday-Tuesday with the lighting of the puerta and continues non-stop (literally) until Sunday at midnight with the firework conclusion.
Feria as we know it today originally began in the 1840s, however, it is said to have an even longer history. It began as a cattle fair which was located in the park near the Prado San Sabastian bus station. Slowly the purchasing or cattle became a less important factor in the fair but the eating, drinking, dancing, and music remained. As the fair grew in size, it needed more spance and moved to it's current location in Los Remedios.
Feria is an extremely fascinating event because of the tradition of the event. To this day, women still dress in flamenco dresses and Men wear suits and ties. During the day, men and women, dress in typical Spanish horse riding clothes and ride their horses or in carriages throughout the fairgrounds. Throughout the fair you can find the locals dancing and singing Sevillana which looks and sounds like flamenco to an untrained observer. Locals will be quick to correct you if you call it "flamenco" because Sevillana is different. I would highly recommend trying to learn the basics of Sevillana before the fair. In my experience, I was dragged out onto the dance floor numerous times.
For Feria, you will be greatly rewarded if you have made friends with a few Spaniards because the fair is more fun if you have someone who knows the ropes. Otherwise you will end up wandering around aimlessly and never quite get the real experience of the fair. If you're lucky one of your friends may invite you to a private caseta which are closed to the general public. Most casetas are rented by families, private groups, or companies. Having a caseta is a sign of money and a way for wealthy families to entertain their guests.
Being inside a caseta is the best way to experience feria because typically the family invites all their relatives and close friends to the caseta and it's incredible to be able to see them sing, dance, eat, and drink in celebration together. The casetas usually have a front room with tables and chairs and a dance floor and many times a live band playing Sevillana. In the back there is a bar that serves food and drinks as well as bathrooms. The etiquette of casetas is something I still don't completely understand, but I will give you my inexpert advice. If you get invited, don't bring along friends with you without asking first. Also be prepared to pay a little for food or drink if your host asks you and it might be a good idea just to go ahead and offer to pay for a round of tapas or drinks at some point in the night.
It's difficult to explain how incredible of an experience Feria can be if you have made some close friendships with Spaniards. The fair will take place towards the end of the semester which will allow you time to make friends. I can't reinforce enough how important it is to find a language speaking partner and to make new friends in Spain because quality of your study abroad experience will increase exponentially. The people I have met in Spain have made my experience so much better than other students who use study abroad for only partying and traveling. Getting to experience the most prized celebration in Sevilla with my Spanish friends has been the highlight of my trip.
