The feria of 2014: Photos by Kelly Lawlor

 

I love taking photographs and many of these end up on my blog, but when my friend, Vejer photographer Kelly Lawlor, gave me some of her photographs of last year’s feria, I was reminded of my amateur status. She has captured the atmosphere of the occasion with some beautiful and original shots which you can see on this page.

In the form we know it today, feria began in Seville in 1847 as a larger and more formal version of the cattle fairs which had previously been held every spring, and which were common to most rural areas. The Seville feria is the most famous in Spain, with millions of visitors every year from all over the globe. There will be over a thousand ‘casetas’ – private tents used to entertain family and guests - and daily carriage parades.

 Vejer’s Feria begins this week and forms one of the most important social events of the year. Vejer is almost unique in having two ferias, one in the summer and one in August, and the August feria is said to be the longest in all Spain. Clearly, the town is high up in the celebration stakes - we take enjoyment seriously here!

Feria also exists in southern France, though its traditions there are a little different. Though the original purpose of feria was to show horses and cattle, the event rapidly developed into something more elaborate and took on a similar identity to the state fairs and county shows you will see in the USA and the UK. 

Naturally, though, the atmosphere here is particularly Spanish, with bullfights, a special dance – sevillanas – and the ‘faralaes’; the long, frilled dress which is worn by hardcore feria celebrators. Men and boys wear the 'traje corto', a suit with a short jacket and sometimes a wide hat. Every day this week, I will add a blog about these different aspects of feria.

During feria, the town grinds to a halt and many shops and restaurants close. Vejer’s feria will include all the traditional ingredients, though the casetas, run by local businesses, are all open to the public. There will be fairground attractions and flamenco and folk-dancing as well as a cattle show and displays of horsemanship. Dancing and partying will continue until dawn and the whole town will let its hair down.

 
I once asked my friend, the flamenco dancer Adrián Brenes, what people actually DO at feria. He took the question quite seriously.

 ‘If you are older,’ he explained, ‘you meet your friends, have a drink and a chat, look at the events, the dance for example, and enjoy the atmosphere, the dresses and the fact that winter is over at last. If you’re young, you do the same thing but it’s more like a party and we stay out till dawn.
'Most people have a personal interest in feria – maybe some of their family are dancing or taking part in events. And it’s here that you run into people you haven’t seen for ages, make new friends and hear all the gossip.’

Adrián has a particular interest in feria himself. He has danced there since he was a child, and though he now lives and works in Madrid, he will return to Vejer on Sunday to perform as an invited artist.

Since that conversation, I’ve been to many ferias in different parts of the region and I have found them welcoming and enjoyable events. Vejer’s feria begins on April 30th and continues until Sunday May 4^th. You can download a copy of the schedule here:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=694844830579925&set=pcb.694844887246586&type=1&theatre

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