Beginning on Tuesday morning at 12:00 a.m. the city of Seville in southern Spain will be transformed into a fairground. The festival is called the
Feria de abril and dates back to 1846. The
Feria used to be a fair in which farmers met to trade cattle. Now it is a festival that draws visitors from all over the world. It also marks the beginning of the bullfighting season. There are tents set up in the city that are owned by families or businesses. These tents are called
casetas and they are set up like dining rooms with tables and chairs. There’s also room for dancing! A popular dance performed at the Feria is
Flamenco dancing. This is well-known throughout Spain. But there are also dances that are specific to Seville. They are called
Sevillanas. People young and old perform these dances in the
casetas or in the streets. There are also special costumes that people wear during Feria. Women and girls wear dresses that are called
trajes de flamenca. They are dresses that are usually specially made. Look at this website to see some of the different styles (and prices) of these dresses:
http://www.flamencoexport.com/lo-mas-vendido/trajes-de-flamenca-senora.htmlrt.com/lo-mas-vendido/trajes-de-flamenca-senora.html.
Here's Señorita Payne and one of her amigas at the Feria gate in 2004. The design of the gate changes a little every year.
Here's what the casetas look like inside.
Learn more about Feria by visiting these websites:
http://feriadesevilla.andalunet.com/
http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feria_de_Abril
