Feria fotos

This year is the 300th anniversay of the annual Feria de San Agustín, celebrated over a five night period at the end of every August.

We popped down on the second and last night, really just to take a few pictures of the celebrations although we must admit that it's not really our favourite fiesta.

The fairground in daylight with its rows of "casetas"......public and private marquees for music, dancing and entertainment.

The traditional arched entrance to the Feria ground.
Much of the activity is centred upon walking up and down the central promenade, meeting up with friends and neighbours.
Pictured here is our neighbour Monica with daughter Lara.









The fair itself was buzzing with many stalls and rides.

In the "Caseta Municipal", the main public entertainment area, a different group of musicians play each night. Here, the Joker Band.

A free hop on train circulates around town bringing festival goers to and from the fairground, though it does get a little crowded.

Looking inside one of the many casetas.


Our friend Paquita in a beautiful traditional dress.

Another friend Ana on the right, pictured here with friends and family in stunning dresses.

Bienvenido and his lovely family, all beautifully dressed for the occasion.

The feria formally closes with a firework display at about three in the morning although the partying continues on until much later.
















Over the five days, no doubt there were many more activities and the pictures here do not do justice to the fiesta. So my apologies for that.

However, we do feel that a lot of the atmosphere has been lost since the feria moved from the streets of Olvera to the new fairground on the edge of town, a feeling that many of our friends are in agreement with.

The differing types of music from the casetas placed next to each other compete loudly, all merging together into a blast of sound and noise.

We much preferred it when you could sit at a bar in the street, admiring the ladies walking by in their gorgeous dresses and the men on horseback parading up and down, sipping a few drinks with a few tapas, looking in at the bars set up in peoples garages or the casetas set up in the gardens of houses.
But hey, nevermind, just a personal opinion and the ramblings of an oldie not wanting things to change.