La Feria de Abril is an annual week-long festival held in the southern Spanish city of Seville. Two weeks after Semana Santa, or Holy Week, attendees fill the streets of Los Remedios neighborhood in the western part of the city, across the Guadalquivir River near Triana. This year, it was held from Sunday, April 14 to Saturday, April 20.
The first Feria was held in 1847 and has become an incredible part of Andalusian and Sevillan culture. Joy, love, passion and Spanish pride are at the forefront of the celebration of springtime and new beginnings. The fair does not have any religious affiliation or background. Rather, it is a time to indulge in local culture and traditions and spend time with those you love.
The streets of the fair are lined with casetas, which are mostly private tents hosted by relevant people, businesses and organizations from the city. They are invite-only and take several days to put up. Many have bars so you can order rebujillo, which is a white wine sangria native to the fair.
Fashion plays a major role in the fair with attendees going all out in their attire. Women and girls typically wear trajes de flamenca or gitana which feature a distinct fit-and-flare style made popular by flamenca dancers. The possibilities are endless with ever-evolving trends of different colors, patterns, fabrics, shapes, silhouettes and so much more. It is tradition to wear long hair in a low bun or braid and place a large, front-facing flower three inches from the hairline.
Many women splurge on custom dresses and there are infinite ways to customize the Sevillana look. From the drape of the shawl to the length of the sleeves, it was amazing to see traditional design elements flourish in the modern age.
One of the coolest parts of attending the fair was seeing people from all over the world, from every age and generation, partying in the streets until morning. An already tight-knit city only grows closer together with this celebration of the good life. La Feria de Abril was such a gratifying experience and it was a true honor to be in attendance.
