The fair is one of the most deeply rooted Andalusian events. It is a key moment to get to know the origins of the culture of this land because it has everything that represents Andalusia: flamenco, typical gastronomy, horses and the art and excitement on the faces of the Andalusians at this time of year.
If you want to know a little more about the most famous fairs, we invite you to visit the Horse Fair in Jerez, a city in the province of Cadiz. You will live a unique experience and you will feel the spirit and joy of the Andalusian festivity.
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Information on the Jerez Fair
For the city of Jerez, its fair is one of the most important celebrations along with Easter. Its interest is such that it has been declared of International Tourist Interest and is proposed as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Spain.
The origin of the fair can be traced back to the horse trade in the mid-13th century. The crown gave breeders a certain amount of time to close deals without having to pay taxes, an advantage that attracted many interested parties from the region. This has been the common origin of many other fairs in Spain. However, the Jerez Fair has a special characteristic: it maintains the sense of the importance of livestock and horses, which gives it its name.
Currently, the fair has more than 200 booths. Most of them compete in tapas and decoration competitions, so each one is unique both in its dishes and in the atmosphere it exudes.
Food and drink is a must at this fair. Jerez, a city known worldwide for its wines, stands out for its oloroso and fino wines. Some people like to mix the fino wine with soft drinks, known as rebujito.

As for the traditional dress, we have the traje corto if you ride a horse and the traje de gitana or flamenco dress for women.
Timetables and dates of the Jerez Horse Fair
The Feria del Caballo is held between the third and fourth week of May in Jerez de la Frontera.
Due to the pandemic, the 2020 Feria del Caballo did not take place. This is the first time it has not been held since 1938. The 2021 fair will also be cancelled for the same reason. However, we must not lose hope that we will be able to enjoy this celebration in 2022 with more enthusiasm than ever.
How to get to the Feria de Jerez
You can get to Jerez by train or by bus. Both stations are located in the city centre and from there you can walk to the fair (about 2 km away). If you prefer to save your energy for when you are at the fairgrounds and not walk, you can take the Lanzadera Esteve bus which runs every 10 minutes.
If you are travelling to the fair by car, you will have to put in your GPS the Avenida de Europa. At the end of it, in the direction of Cádiz, you will find a roundabout with coloured horses. We recommend you park in this area. If there is no space, go to the surrounding area. The Feria is about 250 metres from there.
Events of the Feria de Jerez
As its name suggests, Feria del Caballo (Horse Fair), during the week there are activities related to horses. For example, we can see international show jumping competitions, dressage, equestrian rallies, exhibitions of selected livestock or auctions.
Moreover, the horse is present for most of the day. In the González de Hontoria park, hundreds of riders and horsewomen and carriages are gathered around the streets of the fairgrounds. This is a spectacle that we recommend you see, as the horse is one of the symbols of Andalusia.
Once in the casetas, the best activity apart from trying the typical food and drink of Andalusia and, of course, of Jerez, we recommend that you try dancing sevillanas. You don’t need to be an expert to do it, just feel the rhythm of flamenco and find a good dance partner to accompany you. The dancing takes place at any time of the day, from early morning to early morning and creates the atmosphere for which a fair is renowned: the smell of albero, the music of the flamenco box and the ruffles of the flamenco dresses in movement.
During the fair all kinds of flamenco dance and gastronomic competitions are held.
Finally, we must not forget the show that children love the most: the fireworks that close this event, not to mention the attractions that are in operation during the whole week of the fair.
If you want to know Jerez and Cádiz better, we recommend you: