On May 14, 2022, A Través partnered with Madrid Spanish Taverna to create a community event that would frame the art of flamenco in a typical Spanish fiesta, where dance and music are part of the celebration of the arrival of spring. The eight-hour La Feria ATLANTA 2022 started with dance classes and small performances that brought together students and professionals on stage. Madrid served its popular tapas until the Spanish lunch hour, at about 4 p.m., when the crowd seemed to balloon under the shade of trees and tents lining the restaurant, along Plum Tree Street in Roswell. Meantime, kids colored fans with song lyrics of sevillanas printed on them, and they decorated guitars and hair flowers. Ladies competed for prizes in a fashion contest that rewarded polka dots, ruffles, colors, and creativity. Later, live music invited guests to the dance floor for rounds of rumba and sevillanas, the very dance and song synonymous with La feria in Spain. The day ended with an evening concert featuring local flamenco performers and aficionados, as well as guest artist José Moreno.

The event across the ocean is called La feria de abril, and it takes place in Seville, Spain, annually, two weeks after Easter. The event features rows of casetas, or tents decorated elaborately and filled with tables, live bands, and performance stages. Inside, people eat, drink, dance, and sing for several days and nights. The event is known for elegant attire, including the traje flamenca, or a special dress in homage to the humble origins of La feria.

Such a celebration in Georgia is unique, because flamenco is presented in much the same way that it is at La feria de abril in Seville. This context helps people who live in the U.S.A. to appreciate Spanish song and music, as well as cuisine, just as people in Spain enjoy these cultural expressions as part of their typical lifestyle. At La feria de abril in Seville, audiences watch performances, and they also make the performances happen, by dancing to sevillanas and other songs, preparing and eating food, relaxing with refreshing drinks, and continuing a fashion tradition that is centuries old. La Feria ATLANTA imparts that same character of southern Spain.

La Feria ATLANTA 2022 in photos

Erik Voss photographed our event. His beautiful images are below.