Costa News Spain Breaking News | English News in Spain.
The annual Manzanilla Fair will be held in Andalucia’s Sanlúcar de Barrameda from Tuesday May 27 to Sunday June 1, 2025.
So now the twin questions arise, what is Sanlúcar, and what is manzanilla?
You’re lucky if you know. This is a new experience for you.
Sanlúcar de Barrameda is a pretty town which stands on the estuary of the mighty Guadalquivir river. Informally, it is known in Andalucía as the holiday resort of the people of Sevilla.
Manzanilla, the rich and light sherry from the region, is a deliciously aromatic drink. This is the wine for you if you prefer your wine to be as dry as you can.
The excitement in the city has been building since January. For Sanlúcar, this festival is one of the highlights of the year (the other falling in August, when there are two weekends of live horse-racing on the beach).
“The Manzanilla Fair is not complete without its people and its unique wine. Sanlúcar is already preparing to open the doors of the Fair with that open spirit that defines us,” the mayoress, Carmen Álvarez, said recently.
Visitors will be able to enjoy all the usual fun of an Andalucían feria, with casetas, tapas and dancing. Of course, there will be many chances to taste the endless varieties of Manzanilla.
The Festival Department of the City Council is responsible to set up the fairground.
And it’s not a simple task: “The fairground is set up in an urban centre, and that creates many last-minute problems,” says Rodríguez Llovet, chairman of La Caña, who urges the administration to prepare the booths earlier than in other years to give the booth owners more time to prepare.
There will be 60 booths at the fair. These are categorized into three different categories: commercials, youth and leisure activities, and clubs.
You can enter the booths, or casetas, for free.
Enjoy local cuisine, live music, and plenty of golden manzanilla.
The whole festival is co-ordinated by a Sanlúcar committee called “La Caña” (impossible to translate, but something like “the Swift Half” will convey the idea), but the community itself makes the thing work.
Booths are set up by professional bodies like the town’s pharmacists, or churches, or sports clubs – the only criterion is providing fun.
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The new Municipal Emergency Centre recently inaugurated by City Council will be one of the innovations at this year’s festival.
Located next to the fountain that connects La Calzada with the Paseo Marítimo, this centre will bring together Civil Protection, health, and fire services to optimise care for the revellers and rapid-response to any accidents during the fair.
“With the opening of this new centre, we take another step in our commitment to strengthening citizen safety and providing our staff with adequate spaces for their work,” says Mayoress Álvarez.
Moreover, the mayor pledged that he would minimize inconveniences to La Calzada’s residents during the setting up and taking down of the fairground attractions.
Residents of La Calzada expressed their gratitude to the City Council for taking into account their concerns for the first time since 1953 in the planning of this Fair.
Rodríguez Llovet insists that the commitment of the fairgrounds owners remains unwavering.
“We are here year after year to improve, add and build on what we already have.” “We’ll continue to work on the fair for as long it continues.”
The association reaches out to both residents and institutions to work together, convinced that the Manzanilla Fair is a symbol of Sanlúcar that must be cared for and projected with a vision for the future.
With the celebration and symbolic delivery of the first sherry barrel already underway, and with a reinforced security plan and an Emergency Centre in place, Sanlúcar is ready to party!
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