The beautiful Feria de Jerez
The alumbrado (lightening) of half a million lights at midnight on the portada (main entrance arch) marks the beginning of the Feria de Jerez.
Jerez de la Frontera opens its doors to thousands of visitors every year for the Feria del Caballo (The Horse Festival).
The Horse Festival in Jerez – declared to be of National Tourist Interest – is one of the most beautiful events of the year, a mixture of joy and passion combining pure breed horses, flamenco, food and sherry and daily premium bullfights.
When people from outside of Andalusia think about the Feria, the first thing that comes to their mind is the famous Seville Fair, the most important in affluence and in terms of international impact. But it is not the only Feria, and of course, depending on your personal taste, it might not be the best. One its biggest rivals is the Jerez Horse Festival, which is about to start shortly with a week full of party, joy, singing, dancing, and of course, horses.
The Feria
The alumbrado (the lightening) of the Feria the first night at 10 pm is one of the main attractions. With over 1,160,602 light points displayed in a Modernist aesthetics and distributed in a complex structure it is an unavoidable appointment if your are in the city.
Moments of dance, flamenco and celebration are gathered in every corner of Hontoria Park, the fair area known as Real de la Feria. The fairground is filled with colorful casetas (stalls) to welcome everyone. Unlike in Feria de Sevilla, in Jerez all booths are public, so anyone can access them to have some wine, to dance some sevillanas, and to eat some tapas. The party lasts almost all day, and depending on the time the atmosphere changes radically. More familiar in the day, and more partying at night.
Cradle of Flamenco, Jerez is the city that best and most singers, dancers and guitarists has given to the history of flamenco, and art that is present all week long. We has to highlight also the role of wine, because for Jerez this precious “treasure” is something more than a good, it represents the culture of a people, a way of understanding life. The fino sherry, omnipresent pale golden liquid at the Feria de Jerez, is a unique wine in the world, nevertheless it might happen that instead of “fino” you listen people ordering “rebujito” with is a refreshing cocktail made of fino and soda that goes well with the fiesta and happens to be the “official” drink.
Horses and brave bulls
The Horse Festival is not only a party, but also lives up to its name and dedicating a great deal of attention to the Spanish pure breed horse, together with another of the noblest animals, the brave bull. During the week of the fair competitions and exhibitions are held, such as the Andalusian Horse Dressage, the Horse Carriage contest, and the Acoso y Derribo Rodeo exhibitions. In addition, between the days 18 and 20 you can enjoy the Bullfighting Fair, which brings together important bullfighters of the current scene, as well as the ranches with the bravest animals.
But above all, come to Jerez de la Frontera to enjoy its joie de vivre, feel the excitement in the streets, Jerez is a warm city for its climate and its heart and welcomes everyone with open arms.
For more information on how to organize your exclusive visit to the Feria de Jerez, contact us.