Call me a purist, but I love Seville’s April Fair, classism and all. Friends of mine had always talked about the jerezano equivalent, held a few weeks after Seville’s famed fête in mid May. Last year, M and I took the train to nearby Jerez de la Frontera for a day to experience the festival.
Being a celebrated horse breeding and training city, el caballo takes center stage at the fair, with both exhibitions and a horse auction. The biggest difference between the two is that the streets aren’t choked with horse carriages, so there’s less of a chance you’ll get hit by one or drag your dress through horse poop.
But there was plenty more: Jerez’s fair was a fun mix of eclectic and traditional casetas (we danced in a caseta run by a biker bar and drank margaritas at the Mexican restaurant’s tent), many different types of music, and much more wallet friendly. Not having to worry about appearances, we could just enjoy ourselves with all of the adorable, sherry-drinking abuelos.
Not much can hold a candle to Seville’s fair, but Jerez is as damn close as you can get.
If you go: The Feria de Jerez is held over seven days in May, typically during the second week of the month (this year’s festival is the 11th – 18th of May). You can take the train from Seville’s Santa Justa or San Bernardo stations straight to Jerez, with a round-trip ticket costing 17€. Entrance to the fairgrounds in Jerez is free. For more information, check the city’s festivals page.
Have you been to any Andalusian fairs?
One of my friends here in Santiago just got placed in Jerez, so I will be passing this article on to him!
Trevor Huxham recently posted..Photo Post: Antequera, Deep in the Heart of Southern Spain
Jerez is a close second to Seville for me on so many levels. I’d love to live there!
I live right across from the fairgrounds and I may or may not have plans to go every day between yesterday and Thursday. We’ll see if I survive!
GAAAAH have such a great time! And get margaritas at the Mexican restaurant caseta!
physically i’ve never been to any fair, but i’ve been to lots of them through the telly, haha
such a grandiosity or intensity does exhaust me, so i have no desire to attend any.
anyway La Feria del Caballo is quite famous outside Spain, and even a very famous american actress called Bo Derek attends year after year to see horses dance (or whatever it is called) and even she buys horses or used to buy to take them to her ranch in the USA.
nice pics by the way!
Thanks, Pedro!
Lovely photos as always!
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Thanks, love!
Cat, I love Jerez and I would go to feria there just for the horses!
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Jerez is a top destination for horse lovers. I took my mom to see the Real Escuela Ecuestra (you can search for it in a Spain Snapshots from last July or so), as well as to ride.
I went to Sevilla this year to experience my very first Feria de Abril! Or should I say de Mayo this time around? Either way it was a super great time, but I did find myself wondering what the feria in Jerez is like especially since I heard that most casetas there are public unlike in Sevilla. Now I know a little bit more thanks to you 🙂 Next year I will actually be moving to Sevilla so I can’t miss the feria, but I will definitely make some time for a trip to Jerez too!
Jessica @She Dreams of Travel recently posted..International Food and Fun in Fuengirola
You’ll be in Seville next year – that’s great! And yes, Jerez is definitely worth the trip…just don’ try and catch the last train back after all the rebujito!
Oh, you are giving me terrible Spain sickness! I need to go back soon!
Caitlyn recently posted..Catching a cheeky tour in London
Yes, Cait! COME!
Never been to a Feria like this, but it looks interesting to see. I wouldn’t be dancing sevillanas though.
One of my friends (okay, Mario’s) is dating this new guy and they’re all headed there this weekend, but I get the feeling she does NOT want to dress up or dance the night away. I think just seeing it would be fun, though! And drinking a few rebujitos …
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I am making it my life’s mission to get you dancing sevillanas. Should only take a jar or two of rebujito!
Despite living in Cádiz for half a year, I never actually made it to Jerez! (The airport doesn’t count.) I’d love to try and make it to their Feria next year, but going to Sevilla’s is my priority 🙂
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Do them both! Jerez is so lovely and worth a trip, too!
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