Experiencing local events can be such a cultural window into the different towns and countries we have visited during our travels. Although we were in Lisbon on Freedom Day - the anniversary of the April 25, 1974 Carnation Revolution - it was not the massive celebration that we experienced on Friday evening at the Feria de Abril in Sevilla, Spain - with one million of our closest friends.
The week-long festivities (where five million attend annually) spill over into the town square from the fair grounds on the opposite side of the river from the castle and city center. This appears to be a much anticipated event as young and old alike dress the part. It was as if generational barriers were dropped and a large percentage of the local crowd was dressed for a Spanish prom.
Walking to the fair, patrons are greeted by a decorative golden “puerta” as a welcome to enter the grounds. Carriages transport the more official party-goers from downtown to the event - where tents are set up as family parties by invitation only. Hundreds of tents, ranging from small to very large, line the narrow roads where the horse-drawn carriages carry brightly dressed ladies and suited gentlemen in an almost parade-like fashion. Without an invitation to a tent, visitors may walk through the area where family gatherings with live music and dancing can be heard and viewed from the dusty pathways between the tents and the street.
A quick online search revealed that the Andalusian Seville Fair is generally held two weeks after the Semana Santa, or Easter Holy Week. The fair officially begins at midnight on Saturday and ends on the following Saturday. The fair event dates back to 1846.
We are surely thankful to have been in Sevilla during this celebration and to experience this traditional and beautiful Spanish event.
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