The island of Gran Canaria hosts the Andalucian Feria de Abril celebration every year. The capital of the island, Las palmas celebrated in 2015 the eighth edition of the Feria de Abril, with an ample selection of festive events.
Included in the event program are numerous exhibitions of dance, and flamenco music, a lot of famous artists have taken part including Copla singer Charo Reina and the canarian artist Pepe Tacoronto.
Flamenco dancing groups and schools from all over the island participate in this event such as the Paulina ballet school which has more than 15 years experience in teaching children and adults the art of flamenco dancing.
Paulina the star of her own dancing group, started teaching children in a gymnasium in the town of Vecindario, and little by little, thanks to her great talent and artistic skills she was able to open her own school in Cruce de Sardina in Vecindario.
At the Feria de Abril there are dance schools participating from other islands too, like Tenerife and Fuertaventura and they offer different musical shows like Sevillianas, Boleros, Seguidillas, Malageñas and Rumbas amongst others.
The Feria de Abril Association with the co-operation of the Ayuntameinto de Las Palmas organises every year more than forty events such as Rumba concerts, Alegria and Fandango musical shows and flamenco and soleas dances. These types of dances and music originate from different areas of southern Spain.
Santa Catalina, Chosen Location for the Feria de Abril
In the Santa Catalina park in Las Palmas, which is the chosen location for this fiesta there are numerous stalls which offer many different types of typical cuisine that originate from Andalusia in southern Spain, also in the back ground you can hear and see traditional singing choruses and dancing.
For a few days the Santa Catalina park turns in to a giant Flamenco stage and every year there is a flamenco dancing contest for adults and children. There is also a fashion catwalk with models showing traditional outfits from Andalusia, which is becoming more and more popular every year.
Like Las Palmas, Maspalomas also celebrates its own Feria de Abril, as a sign of union towards Andalusia.
The Feria de Abril in Maspalomas holds a famous romeria on horseback through the streets, has musical shows, a big flamenco stage, food demonstrations and children’s workshops.
‘El Centro Andaluz de Maspalomas’ in conjunction with the ayuntamiento de San Bartolomé de Tirajana organises this event. The fiesta is celebrated for the whole weekend and the Andulacian community living in the south of the island will guarantee to keep the tradition alive.
Timetable of the Feria de Abril
The celebrations are situated around the southern municipal market area, so the Andalusian community and private businesses can celebrate the Feria de Abril and all its activities in the tourist zone of the island. The Feria de Abril combines nostalgia for Andalusia with current island experiences.
The Feria de Abril in the south of the island is a magnificent opportunity for a cultural change, it is also received very well by both canarian residents and tourists.
Author: Juan Perdomo
Translation: Amanda Belmonte
Quick Overview
- Name: Feria de Abril
- Location: Las Palmas and Maspalomas
- Month: April or May
- Duration: 3 days
- Official Page: Asociación Cultural Feria de Abril
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My name is Amanda Belmonte and I am a web/graphic designer and photographer. I have lived in the Canary Islands for almost 15 years. Although I have lived in Lanzarote for most of that time, Gran Canaria has always been my dream Island to live on, yet it has taken me 13 years to get here.
The Gran Canaria Regional BLOG offers a platform for bloggers to write about Gran Canaria. This article represents the personal opinion and impression of the author. We like to offer a wide range of opinions and impressions to our readers. Do you have any suggestions for this article, did you notice an error? Do you have Canarian recipe you need to share? Would you also like to write about Gran Canaria? Please contact us here.