La Feria in Jerez is definitely worth a long form article. But I think that I am going to have to try that article at a later date. You see, right now, La Feria is in full swing. I can’t miss too many of these moments because you never know when you are going to be able to live them. The video above doesn’t due the production value of La Feria proper justice because there are so many things that go into this event besides the massive construction tour de force that took place to squeeze an entire city into a park.
Let’s start with the lighting ceremony, or rather two weeks before. Some gitanas or gypsies basically took over the tree stump hangout behind the parking lot where I live. I am not going to make some grand claim of understanding gypsy culture but these guys were basically drinking all day and playing backgammon. They weren’t even loud with it. Then on Sunday when La Feria kicked-off, they started working and shit got real. You see normal Spaniards aren’t really for all that working crap during La Feria so it was a little suspicious when the folks known for never working started to work in overdrive.
(Only New Yorkers will appreciate these analogies: La Feria is like Saint Rocco’s Feast or San Gennaro’s Feast multiplied by Las Vegas.) Incredibly gorgeous gypsy women came out of nowhere selling flowers or balloons. Gypsy men were busying themselves with charging people to park in illegal parking spaces around La Feria. Then the old gypsy ladies roved La Feria grounds like gangs pushing flowers and romero on anybody inexperienced enough to make eye contact with them. The transformation was total, complete, and mind-altering.
I had to seek refuge in a caseta operated by the Jerez de la Frontera City Hall, and guess who was on the stage? Gitanas with jobs, again. Gypsies get their music on, and if you have ever heard sevillanas then you will understand what I am talking about. Never mind how the City Hall partnered with one of the most well-known sherry makers in Spain. That isn’t important right now. After all, we are in Spain and we have to live somehow. La Feria only comes once a year so forget your woes, get on a horse, and just watch this video.
The Chronicles of Six 