Have fun at the Marbella feria

The Spanish take the concept of having fun very seriously indeed—never more so than at feria time when party-loving locals dress up in their finery and take to the streets for the annual fair.

The people of Marbella are no exception and for those lucky enough to be in the area this week a host of diverting activities are lined up to entertain the crowds as the feria gets into full swing. This is a time when the Andalusian love of music, good food and tradition come together in spectacular fashion, with ‘casetas’(literally little houses) providing entertainment, refreshments and food in equal measure to all comers.

This year sees the return of the feria (or at least part of it) to the Marbella town centre for the first time in eight years. The Alameda Park and Avenida del Mar—which is famous for its collection of Salvador Dalí statues—are the venues for a selection of stalls dedicated to the daytime feria. Bunting and lighting has been put up to enhance the festive feeling at the fair that celebrates San Bernabé—the patron saint of Marbella.

In the evening most of the action moves to the third phase of the La Cañada commercial development, although there are some town centre activities scheduled until about 9pm. A free shuttle bus service will link the main feria site to the town centre between 6pm and 3am daily, and 6pm and 5am at the weekend.

There is a programme of concerts and children’s activities in the main auditorium that are a must see for the quality of the acts—many of a national stature—while there is of course a full selection of fun fair rides complete with bright lights, loud music, candy floss and other treats. While fun—and an essential part of any feria—the funfair is by no means the only attraction. The chance to pop into the many casetas to enjoy the music—ranging from traditional flamenco to jazz and rock—while sipping on a glass of sherry and admiring the traditional flamenco dresses and caballero suits worn by many of the fair-goers is not to be missed, for this is a taste of the real Spain.

Everyone is made to feel welcome, with the majority of casetas open to the general public. It is a lively, fun night that shines a torch on the fun-loving souls of the Spanish and well worth a visit for visitors keen to sample the fun of an Andalusian fair!