Feria de Primavera
El Puerto de Santa Maria´s spring fair
Ferias are an integral part of the Spanish festive calendar, particularly in Andalucia. Translated to mean "Festival", these spring celebrations occur frequently throughout the first five months of the year. A feria takes place once a year in a large fairground area. Generally, the bigger the feria, the longer it goes on. For instance, the Seville Feria, the biggest in Andalucia, goes on for a full week. Common practice is to see the women dressed in Flamenco outfits and men dressed formally or, if they are horseriders, in a "Traje de Corto" (typical feria riding outfit). The fairground consists of two areas. The first is full of typical fairground attractions and stalls to entertain the younger members of a Spanish family. The second is a large plot filled with methodical lines of "Casetas" (small marquees with a bar, tables and chairs and a dance area) where families go to eat, drink, revel and dance. The Ferias in Cadiz Province are really a combination of Flamenco, horses and lots and lots of sherry!!
The Feria de Primavera (Spring Festival) in El Puerto de Santa Maria is the largest feria in the Cadiz bay region. Also known as "La Fiesta del Vino Fino" (Fino wine celebrations), the feria always takes place almost immediately after the Seville Feria, towards the end of April. Like most Ferias, the Feria de Primavera began as a livestock trading fair where locals would gather once a year for five days. Over time this rural gathering became an increasingly social event, to the point where livestock trading gradually disappeared and left a purely social celebration in its place.
The casetas in the Feria de Primavera are open to anyone and it lasts for five days and nights. Though it is the biggest feria in the bay region, it is of a more manageable size compared with Jerez or Seville, and due to its open casetas and sociability, it is the ideal feria to visit whilst on holiday. We recommend that you try the Fino wine and the famous shellfish and have a crack at dancing a bit of Flamenco!!