The Seville Fair // feria de abril

Oh, friends. There is SO much I want to tell you about the past ten days I spent in Spain. Rest assured, a full itinerary and recap is coming soon, but while it’s fresh on my mind I wanted to tell you all about one of the most magical things I’ve ever experienced. The Seville Fair! Or as the locals call it, Fería de Abril. (Don’t you just love the sound of that?)

To be quite honest, I knew very little about Spain, much less Seville, before departing for this trip, and when I learned we would be in Seville for this festival, I didn’t give it much thought. A quick google image search revealed that people dressed in traditional flamenco gowns for the occasion, but in my head I pictured at most a couple hundred fair-goers drinking sangria in a little side street. White tents, a smattering of dresses, not much else.

Classy, I know.

And I could not have been more wrong.

The Expectation

The second my friends and I pulled into Seville in our taxi from the train station, it felt like we were in a different world. To start with, the buildings alone were utterly charming. Picture whites, yellows, narrow streets… it felt like a scene from a movie.

Then we saw it. A woman in full-on flamenco turning the corner with her three similarly dressed friends. Deep purple ruffles, a flower right on top of her head… it was a brief, magical moment, and one that took my breath away! I mean really, how many times do you see that around Dallas?

A few more minutes of driving revealed not only more and more fair-goers (we passed a little girl with her parents in this most darling polka-dotted ensemble complete with red lipstick) but that I had completely underestimated Fería de Abril. Little did I know it would be one of the most magical things I’ll ever experience!

My friends and I had planned our outing to the fair that evening, and I had decided one thing was for certain. I was going to go all out and would arrive in nothing less than a full flamenco ensemble. At this point, I can’t even tell you how many women we’d passed in these gorgeous getups! I knew this was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to experience something so culturally different from everything I’ve known, and wanted to make the most out of it.

The Dress

So while the group stopped for a quick lunch, my friend Amanda and I darted off to the closest flamenco dress store we could find. Imagine a boutique about half the width of your every-day Starbucks establishment packed to the brim with gorgeous ruffles in every color imaginable. Floor to ceiling, it was a sight to be seen! We were on the clock, as we needed to make it back to our friends before they finished eating, so we grabbed three dresses in what I hoped would be my size and raced to the dressing room.

I didn’t even have to try on all three dresses… the first one I put on fit like a glove. Amanda and I were so giddily shocked! The stunning polka dot fabric, bell sleeve detailing and emoji-worthy skirt created a gown that felt like it had been made for me. I handed it over to the sales woman (who amusedly exclaimed “Muy rapido!” at my whirlwind of a decision) and in less than five minutes, was out of the store with my newest purchase.

The Fair

Before I knew it, all five of us were on our way to the fair. (And yes… I was the only one dressed up, which made for a few comical pictures.) A 40 minute walk from our Airbnb brought us to the most amazing sight I’d ever seen.

Tents were lined up for what seemed like miles in every direction, each brimming with music, wine, flamenco outfits and dancing. My friends and I must have looked like zombies as we stumbled around with eyes full of wonder and mouths gaping open in surprise. We kept looking at each other and asking “How is this real?!”

I wish I could explain just how massive the fair was. While I had pictured a couple hundred people, the reality was that there were thousands all dressed up in festival attire. And I’m telling you… each woman was dressed to the nines. They all wore their hair in a low bun with a huge, gorgeous flower piece right on top of their head. (I’m sure I looked like a foreigner with my hair down and flower on the side of my head.) Their dresses were tailored to perfection, each completely unique in color and fabric but all with the fitted bodice and huge, ruffled hemline.

The men were a whole different story! While most in the tents wore suits, we watched hundreds riding down the streets on horseback in wide-brimmed hats. (Some women even sat sideways on the back of the horses! Magical!) And speaking of riding horseback down the streets…. that was the most chaotic thing I’ve ever seen. Carriages and horses all over the place with people darting all around. No traffic control, no “assigned horse area,” it was a definite every man for himself type of feel. (And looking back, my friends and I were shocked we made it around without getting trampled!)

Each of the tents held a private party, but after a bit of wandering and a few conversations with kind strangers, we found a public one. It was certainly not as glamorous as private parties, but it allowed us to get a feel for the event all the same. We had a fabulous time sipping sangria and watching the tent dance to amazingly synchronized flamenco songs! From older couples to young children, it seemed like everyone knew exactly how to move. It put Texas line-dancing to shame, I’ll tell you what.

While we were only at the fair for a few hours, it truly felt like a lifetime. I’ll never forget walking away in my swishy red flamenco dress to the sound of music and merriment behind me. Oh friends… such magic! And an evening I’ll remember for the rest of my life.

The End

Below you’ll find a few iPhone photos of the fair, and while they do no justice to the actual grandeur of it all, I hope they give you a feel for what I saw and experienced! I’m working on putting together a video from my time in Spain, and can’t wait for you to see the footage from the fair.

 Thank you for walking down this magical memory lane with me! If you have any questions, leave them in the comments below!

Love from Texas,

Kate

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15 Comments

  1. What a fun fair! I love that you embraced the costume of the event. Jess at Just Jess

    Published 5.8.17 · Reply
  2. I love this post! It made me feel like I was there with you (and made me even more jealous that I wasn’t)! Seriously sounds like the most amazing experience and I am so that person that would have bought a dress too! You look gorgeous :)

    Lauren Lindmark | dailydoseofcharm.com

    Published 5.8.17 · Reply
  3. Marta said:

    I’m so glad you had fun! It seems like such an amazing fair, I’d love to go one day. I live right next to Spain and I can’t believe I’m missing on such amazing cultural moments and fun things.

    Published 5.8.17 · Reply
  4. Kendal said:

    That dress is gorgeous, you look like the cha cha emoji!

    Kendal // Life With Kendal

    Published 5.8.17 · Reply
  5. Julianne said:

    Seems like you didn’t really do any research before heading to Spain, such a shame. Also I’m feeling irked by the fact that you called these beautiful flamenco dresses “getups.” Seems insulting and once again shows how little research you actually did about this event and the traditional gowns worn. Come on Kate.

    Published 5.8.17 · Reply
    • A Lonestar State of Southern said:

      Merriam-Webster definition of “getup” // outfit, costume

      Thanks so much for dropping by!

      Published 5.8.17 · Reply
    • Cindy said:

      Ha . . . wow, Julianne. How many times per day do you get “irked” by something?! Maybe you need to buy a new getup and then lighten up.

      Published 5.8.17 · Reply
    • Kristina said:

      Born and raised European here, from the land of sound of music. I am not sure why you find it insulting…if she travelled to my country and dressed up in a “traditional getup” I would feel like it’s nice that somebody is trying to experience a piece of foreign culture. This is a fashion blog after all. Her intent wasn’t malicious so I do not see it as insulting.

      Published 5.9.17 · Reply
  6. emma said:

    Wow, what a beautiful outfit, and the festival sounds amazing!!

    Emma at http://www.collagemepretty.com

    Published 5.8.17 · Reply
  7. Ane said:

    I’m loving all your pictures from your trip to Spain! I am a Spaniard transplanted in Illinois and I am a little ashamed to admit I have never been to Sevilla… But I am from the north lol! Rest assured that your outfit was great and that you probably did not stand out as foreign. Plus, the polka dots on your dress are the typical pattern for Flamenco dresses anyway.
    If you decide to visit Spain again, and particularly if you visit the north, please let me know! I’m being super partial here, but the north (San Sebastian, particularly) is the most beautiful part of Spain ;)
    Love,

    Ane

    Published 5.8.17 · Reply
  8. Natalie said:

    This trip looks like a dream!! That red dress is gorgeous

    https://styleintheafternoonblog.wordpress.com

    Published 5.8.17 · Reply
  9. Celina Z said:

    What a stunning dress! You look like a star!

    Published 5.8.17 · Reply
  10. Holly said:

    That dress is AMAZING on you and such a fun memory to have forever! I’ve never seen any blogger post something like that. There’s just something about Europe that brings out the spunk in us Americans…or maybe just us Southerners!

    xoxo!
    hollyhoehner.com

    Published 5.8.17 · Reply
  11. Carly said:

    That dress is amazing and it looks gorgeous on you! How fun to experience something so different from your day to day. I’m glad you included photos of what others were wearing too. It’s fascinating to see. I wonder what the history is behind that style of dress! Looking forward to your video and hearing more about the trip :)

    Published 5.9.17 · Reply