Patrick in Spain

Ferias are traditional gatherings that take place in many major cities and smaller pueblos all over Spain. They celebrate a variety of occasions, from religious holidays and local or regional events, to welcoming the change of seasons. Below you'll find a short description about what ferias are all about, and photos to better illustrate what they're really like... Enjoy!

A few months before each feria, colorful posters, with portraits of women donning the traditional flamenca style of dress are unveiled by the local city halls, and quickly make their appearance around the city to promote the events. In Granada, the feria coincides with the Feast of Corpus Christi; the city is filled with processions, with large throngs of people lining the streets along the routes, while the devout march through, carrying ornate thrones dedicated to various patron saints, or virgenes. In Marbella, the feria is held in honor of the city's patron saint, San Bernabé. In Seville, they hold their feria in celebration of the arrival of spring. In all likelihood, the most famous and well-recognized feria is Sanfermines held in Pamplona, more commonly known as "the running of the bulls."

The running of the bulls, or Sanfermines in Pamplona.

Welcoming you at the main entrance of the feria fairgrounds is a large gate, ornately constructed and illuminated by thousands of lights, acting as a beacon to call anyone and everyone to the celebration. Awaiting you inside are hundreds of vendors, amusement rides, games of chance, food and drink, and enough alcohol to satisfy even the most experienced partiers. To set the atmosphere, paper decorations and elaborate light displays are hung above the walkways, and uncountable casetas or huts are setup as far as the eye can see. While some of these huts are public, most are private, open only to certain families, patrons of certain bars, or even residents of local apartment complexes. Finding the public huts is not difficult, as they typically have a menu of their food and drink offerings out in front, and ones that offer up the best (and cheapest) drinks are typically already full of partiers.

People in traditional dress ride around the fairgrounds on horseback, deftly navigating through the crowds. As the sun begins to set, the amusement rides, or cacharros are lit, illuminating the fairgrounds in a blaze of light. The celebrations continue until the break of dawn, with dancing spectacles, singing, partying, and fun around every corner, making these events an experience not to be missed. Continue reading below for pictures and a video about feria festivities:

A beautiful, understated poster for the Seville's 2013 feria.

Granada, The Feast of Corpus Christi

Women wearing traditional flamenca dresses, posing in front of the feria's main entry gate.

Riding horseback through the crowds is a common way to get around the fairgrounds.

Hundreds of casetas are setup throughout the fairgrounds: some are family owned, others are for local bars, businesses, and even entire apartment buildings have their own exclusive party hut in which they can relax and enjoy the feria.