malaga fair

8/9/2019 Malaga Fair

1/12

MALAGA FAIR- SPAIN

14th-22nd August 2010

MLAGA IN THE HISTORY

The city was founded by the Phoenicians, who built a settlement nearthe hill on which the Alcazaba stands today. During Roman times,Malaga obtained the benefits of being declared a confederated city ofRome.

Under the rule of the Moors, the city enjoyed an era of great progress,however, in 1487 it was re-conquered by the Catholic Monarchs,

following which it fell into relentless decline.

By the end of the 18th century, beginning of the 19th, a high-classbourgeoisie had been formed, comprised mainly of two families: theLarios and the Heredia, thanks to whom Malaga became the secondmost important industrial centre in the country.

Converted into a world capital of tourism, thanks to the developmentof the Costa del Sol, today Malaga continues to grow.


2/12

Malaga Fair - History

The summer festivities in the city have their roots in thecommemoration of the incorporation of Malaga to the Castilian crown

of the Catholic Monarchs, who made their triumphal entrance into thecity on 19th August 1487.

In 1491, coinciding with the religious celebrations of the CathedralChapter, the Municipal Town Council decreed the establishment ofpopular festivities, which that year began on 15th August.

It was in 1887, with celebration of the 400th anniversary of theCatholic Monarchs entrance into Malaga, that these festivitiesregained their initial splendour. Malagas August Fair has come to the

present day as a Grand Summer Fair that is open, cosmopolitan andinternational, all of this reflecting the character of the capital of the


3/12

leading tourist area in Europe: the City of Malaga as the key centre ofthe Costa del Sol and its metropolitan area.

The First Night. Official Opening

Before midnight, thousands of locals and visitors gathered on the

beaches at La Malagueta to hear the " Pregn de la Feria ", theinaugural speech that marks the official opening of the Fair. This yearis 13th August.

At 12 oclock midnight, a magnificent sound and light firework displaybegins. During half an hour over 4,000 kg of pyrotechnics fill theMalaga sky with light, fire, music and colour, coinciding with thelighting up of the Paseo del Parques artistic illumination.

At different sites on the Park and Plaza de la Marina, there are musicshows to suit everyones tastes: flamenco or verdial music, pop-rock,etc. Thousands of people of all ages come out in force to have fun andenjoy this first night of the Fair that lasts until the small hours.


4/12

The Piligrimage. From the Paseo del Parque to theVictoria Shrine

On the first Saturday of the Annual Fair, a large number of pilgrims,horse riders, and beautifully decorated carts and carriages gather at11 o'clock in the morning in front of the Town Hall in the PaseoCentral del Parque, together with the many spectators who come towatch the pilgrimage get underway.

Exactly at midday, on the Town Hall steps the Mayor hands the city'sflag to the flag bearer of the year, who will lead the multitudinous andcolourful pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Victoria, Patron Saintof Malaga, where a pilgrimage mass will be said, followed by dancing.

Every year, the Historical Quarter Association chooses the flag bearer,as a way of rewarding citizens, associations or institutions that havegiven special dedication and attention to our city, with particularpublic significance. This year has been chosen FusionadasBrotherhood.

Once the celebrations have finalised, the pilgrims continue thefestivities in the centre of the city and await the inauguration of theFairground, which takes place as night falls.


5/12

The City Centre Fair. A Festival of Light and Colour.

Every day during the Fair, from midday onwards, the city transformsinto an invitation to excitement and festivity. All its streets, with calleLarios acting as host, become the focal point and an obligatory port ofcall for both locals and visitors.

Music takes on a fundamental role in each and every one of theevents that can be enjoyed in the streets and squares of the citycentre, such as the Fiesta de Verdiales (traditional dancing) in calleLarios and Plaza del Obispo, or the International Folklore Festival inPlaza de la Marina.


6/12

And for the little ones, there is the Magic Fair (C/ Alcazabilla), with

multiple activities to excite their imagination and creativity, all ofthem designed with the common denominator of ensuring that thekids have fun.

In the bars, cafeterias and booths mounted for the duration, one cansavour the generous wines of the land, accompanied with a greatvariety of tapas.

A particularly enjoyable pastime during these days is to taste ourMalaga wine. A wine linked historically to the Arts, its originality andnoble ascendance has made it the object of many literary references. There have been mentions of the wines produced in the benign


7/12

climate of Malaga since the days of the Romans, although it was fromthe times of the Muslim invasion that these wines became a literaryinspiration for a number of authors.

Our wines are whites: pale, golden wines with a varietal aroma,elegant and clean, and a fruity flavour, fresh with acid overtones;they are reds: full bodied, well structured wines, with prevailingflavours and aromas that are particular to the wines of the region, ofminerals and, as well as a sweetness. There is a wide range of dessertwines.

Going back to the festivities, thousands of people fill the streets in theHistorical Quarter and - drinks in hand -recoup energies to go to thelate afternoon bullfight at La Malagueta Bullring. Malagas Bullfightprogramme during the Fair is one of the most prestigious in Spain.


8/12

Excitement, colour and brilliance are inherent characteristics of ourFair, in which a succession of the most typical images can be seen inevery street of the Historical Quarter of the city.

Visitors will feel just as much a part of it as the Malaga people and,without a doubt, they will be fascinated by the beauty of our Fair.

The Fairground. Nighttime Magic

At half past nine on the evening of the first Saturday of Feria, theMayor of Malaga, surrounded by thousands of the Malaga citizens, willtrip the switch that turns on the illumination that will light up theFairground for the next nine nights, thus inaugurating the annual fairat Malagas Fairground.

A little later all the aisles, booths and attractions fill up with livelypublic, out to enjoy the fair from the very first moment.


9/12

One of the elements that sets Malaga Fair apart from other is the factthat none of the Casetas (individual entertainment enclosures) thatoffer a multitude of different types of music and ambiences(flamenco, as well as malaguea, verdial and sevillana dancing,orchestras, music for young people, etc.) are private nor charge an

entry fee.

Top national stars perform both in the Municipal Auditorium and inthe caseta devoted specifically to young people ( Caseta de laJuventud ). As always, the Fair has its Queen, chosen from the citysmost beautiful women.

As the night progresses, the excitement and enthusiasm grows,accompanied by wine, laughter and dancing, and in fact the activityonly begins to wane when the first lights of dawn announce the startof another day, and that it is time to move the celebrations from theFairground to the citys Historical Quarter.

With around 240 casetas , the Fairground prepares to welcome localsand visitors. There is an area reserved for the traditional fair rides, aswell as a huge parking area with capacity for over 15,000 vehicles

and, of course, all the sanitary and support services necessary for afairground of around five hundred thousand square metres thatreceives hundreds of thousands of visitors every day.

Every midday there are horse-drawn carriage drives around thefairground, whilst dressage competitions are held in the exhibitionenclosure.

The closing ceremony of the Fair is held in the fairground on 22nd, withan End of Fair show that culminates, at 12 oclock midnight, with aspectacular and enormous Fireworks Display.

An unforgettable day


10/12

The city during the Fair presents a multitude of possibilities.Regardless of whether or not you have an itinerary, there are loads ofthings to be enjoyed from the early morning until well into the smallhours.

Here we offer you a route, one of many that Malaga offers throughoutthe year, but which during the Fair becomes even more inviting.

9:00

Time get out an about for a cool walk through the city streets.

Take a walk down to the sea for a walk along the beaches of Malaga.At this time of the morning they are a delight.

10:30

The City Centre Fair has not yet begun. Make good use of the wait. The Historical-Botanical Garden of La Concepcin is an excellentchoice: You will be amazed, and if you have already been around thePark you will not doubt identify the similarities.

You could also stay in the city: Take a walk around its streets and visitany of the citys museums: Pablo Ruiz Picassos Birthplace Museum,the Picasso Museum of Malaga, the Malaga Contemporary ArtMuseum (CAC), the Cathedral Museum, or MIMMA (Malaga InteractiveMusic Museum), etc.

12:00Time to get ready for the Fair


11/12

It you are taking the kids, or you yourselves are still game for a bit ofchildish fun, take a walk round the Magic Fair (C/ Alcazabilla), an areaspecifically designed for the little ones. A great time for all isguaranteed.

13:00

Folklore takes centre stage. Look in on the International FolkloreFestival and you will be surprised to find the rhythms and dancesfrom all over the world gathered together in the Plaza de la Marinawhere, with a universal language, they make contact with our ownforms of expression.

14:00

Time to lose yourself in the very heart of the Fair

In the City Centre Fair, throughout the Historical Quarter there are

several stages mounted for performances of verdial dancing andmusic typical of Spanish fairs. The surroundings are an invitation tohave fun, to dance, enjoy a few tapas and a lot of laughs, andepicurean trilogy that can be repeated time and time again, whilebody and spirit are able.

17:00

It would be a crime to wind of the party, so five oclock is as good atime as any to take a break and partake in a southern custom enviedthe world over, the siesta. There is no better way to recoupenergies to face up to what is still to come, which is quite a lot.

19:30

Out on the street again. The Fair Bullfight awaits and if you had theopportunity of seeing Picassos works in the two aforementionedmuseums during your morning walk, you will probably still have inyour minds eye the images you are about to see live.

21:30

With the murmuring of the crowds leaving the bullring still ringing inyour ears, you near, once again, the Historical Quarter of the city. The

City Centre Fair is done for the day, but you can still enjoy a classicalmusic recital within the Gibralfaro en Fiesta programme. Top linechamber music orchestras and soloists provide an intimate and selectmusical interlude.

23:00

Now the Fair has reached its maximum splendour as the Fairgroundexplodes with colour, light, music and laughter. A FIESTA, with capitalletters. Right from the morning there has been activity, but at thistime of the night the way to discover it is to walk through its theaisles and visit a few of its casetas (entertainment booths). Everyone,from the young to the not so young, will find something to enjoy inthe ample areas of mechanical rides or in the area reserved for the


12/12

casetas, full of activity and excitement. The different municipalcasetas offer the opportunity to have a great time. There are casetasfor the children, for verdial dancing, for flamenco dancing andsinging, for young people, as well as the recently inauguratedMunicipal Auditorium.

The time to go is when you decide. You can start it all again at 9:00,which is a good time for some hot chocolate with its typicalaccompaniment of churros(fritter like rings); or you may think thatthere is no better way to end the day than just as you began it,watching the first rays of dawn bring you another unforgettable dayby our beautiful Mediterranean.

Jos Luis Bola Barrionuevo is the painter of the poster Malaga Fair 2010

malaga fair

Documents