April Fair

The Feria de Abril of Sevilla was born in 1847 as a livestock market organised by two councillors, one Catalan and one Basque. Within a few years the commercial side almost vanished and what remained is what you see today: the city's biggest popular festival. It takes place two weeks after Holy Week, in the district of Los Remedios, on a huge site called the Real de la Feria. It all begins with the alumbrado, on Saturday night into Sunday, when the Portada — a great temporary gateway, redesigned every year — lights up all at once. For the next seven days the Feria is a city within the city: some fifteen hundred casetas set up by families, companies, clubs and brotherhoods. Most are private and you need an invitation, but many belonging to the city hall or political parties are open to the public. Inside you eat, you drink rebujito — a mix of manzanilla wine and lemon soda — and you dance sevillanas. By day, horses and horse-drawn carriages fill the streets, women wear flamenco dresses in every colour, and men sometimes wear the short Andalusian suit. At the back lies the Calle del Infierno, the fairground for children. It all ends the following Sunday with fireworks over the Guadalquivir. Visitor tip: come mid-morning to see the horses and families, and come back at night for the dancing. If someone invites you into a private caseta, it's a great gift — accept, raise a glass, learn two steps of sevillanas and enjoy.