Pueblo Feria Research Paper

Nestling comfortably on a hillside overlooking the Mediterranean Sea in the Province of Malaga, Mijas is often referred to as the jewel of the Costa del Sol.
Once a humble village, Mijas is now one of the richest little towns in Spain after being discovered by artists and writers in the 50’s and 60’s it was not long before jet setters arrived looking for second homes in the sun.
Despite the arrival of so many foreigners who now make up nearly 50% of Mijas’s population, the town has managed to keep its picturesque “Pueblos Blanco’s” charm.
Typical of Andalucía’s white-washed mountain villages with their narrow winding cobblestone streets, Mijas is awash with red and pink flowers draped from the wrought-iron balconies of its terraced houses.
Somehow over the years, the Spanish have made a one-day event last three days, which in the case of the Mijas Pueblo Feria takes place each year between the 7th and 9th of September.
Throughout Spain, each towns Feria is anticipated with an enthusiasm for life and having a good time. It’s not unusual to hear people say that they are saving up for the Feria or in times gone by approaching the bank for a loan to ensure that they had enough spending money.
The festivities kick off with a parade of Grand Cabalgata of Giants and Cabezudos through Mijas’s main streets with the giants having large painted papier-mâché heads mounted on a wooden frame that is draped in cloth while the Cabezudos are life-size except for the same oversized head.
Following close behind is a procession of bands accompanied by the beauty queen and maidens of Mijas all dressed up to go along with the chosen theme culminating in a children’s party held at the Town Hall.
The 8th of September is the only solemn day of the Feria, the day in which an effigy of the Virgen de la Peña is bestowed with flowers and paraded through town before being returned to the