Let me bring you closer to what locals like to call ‘The best fair of the world’, the Fair of Albacete. This fair is organised annually in the beginning of September. Let me tell you more about the fair.
Origins
The origins of the Fair of Albacete date back to the 15th century. It started with a regular market held in Feria street, later it became a cattle fair and nowadays it’s held to honour the Virgen de los Llanos – Virgin of the Plains. In 1783 the city council decided to build a dedicated fairground called la sartén – the frying pan. This building went through several renovations and it’s still standing, welcoming the fair every year.
Start
The fair starts every September 7th and ends September 17th. It starts with a parade where you can see numerous floats, brass bands and people dressed in typical Manchego costumes. The parade ends with the statue of the Virgin de los Llanos. The parade starts on Avenida de España and finishes at the main gate of the Recinto Ferial. When the Virgin is brought to the fair, the mayor opens the main gate, the fireworks are launched and the Virgin is taken to the chapel.
Activities
As every good fair, this one also offers many carousels, stands and games. There is a big variety of carousels, from crazy and big ones to ones that are made for the smallest of children. You can find cars, rollercoasters, feris wheels and other crazy and fast carousels.
There are also many stands with games where you can challenge yourself to win a prize, whether it’s a plushie, some electronic gadget or a plant. Most of the games were focused on popping balloons with darts but you could also find shooting from a gun, bingo, kicking the ball or just trying luck with getting the right cards.
A very important thing that can’t be left out is food. You can find a huge variety of food there. Whether it’s fast food, grilled food, many sweets or even different restaurants, they have it all. Very important is churros, ham and wine as Spanish people love to celebrate their culture.
Souvenirs, local goods, toys and handmade products. All of these you could find in 100s of stands standing around. Whatever you are looking for, you can find it here.
If you come for the parties and night life, there is no need for worries. There are several clubs and stages. Huge tents are built to be transformed into different clubs. To enter you have to buy a ticket. A whole part of the fair is dedicated to these clubs. There are also several stages where you can enjoy a concert or a theatre.
Let’s not forget about another important part of the fair, tombola. Tombola opens already like a month before the fair. You can buy as many tickets as you wish. You either win something immediately on the spot or you get a number that can be drawn to win the ultimate prizes. This tombola is made for a good cause and the money raised is going to local charities.
Program
As mentioned above, the whole fair starts with a parade that ends with bringing the Virgin to the chapel. The next day there is a celebration of the Virgin, a mass and a floral offering.
Spain is very well known for bullfights. Every day of the fair you can visit the ring and watch bullfights with different matadors. You can buy a ticket for the whole season in advance.
As mentioned earlier you can also attend different concerts, live performances and theatre. Every day there are some concerts on the main stage. There are theatre performances for both children and adults and live performances as bands in different stands. While you can enjoy most of the performances in the stands for free, for concerts and theatre you have to buy a ticket.
There are also several exhibitions to visit. Some paid and some free. I recommend the exhibition of knives. As Albacete is a city with a rich history of knife making, this is something you shouldn’t miss. This exhibition is free. It’s quite small but it shows a piece of the history of Albacete. If you want to learn more, visit the museum of knives in the city center.
In the mornings you can attend different sports matches, football, volleyball or chess, whatever you are a fan of.
Lastly, have a taste of Miguelitos. Miguelito is a cake made of puff pastry and a soft cream inside. Note: One day they were giving it out for free on the square. I didn’t get to go there because of the never ending line of people so I rather bought a few in the closest bakery. Definitely worth it.
Prices
As it’s a fair, a huge attraction for people you have to count with higher prices. The 10 days of the fair the whole city gets crowded and the vendors have their minds set on making money. Prices of tickets for clubs, concerts and bullfights can be quite high ranging from 20 to 100s of €. Attractions like carousels and games were at fair prices from 1 to 10€. There was a big variety of food at a big range of prices.
Accommodation
Albacete offers several hotels but I recommend you plan your stay in advance as the city gets crowded already a week before the fair. Hotels can get booked out easily at this time and the prices are higher. There are people renting out apartments for this time of the year so you can have luck with Airbnb or even Facebook marketplace or different platforms for renting apartments.
My experience
I experienced the fair of Albacete from the locals point of view. It was a lot of fun and quite an experience. I got to win some games, try some carousels and food and visited some exhibitions. It was a very crowded place to be, which can trigger someone’s social anxiety. I especially really enjoyed the parade and the culture and traditions. I loved how the people enjoyed it and how proud they were about it. Would I call it the best fair in the world? No, but it certainly is trying to be the best and I have to give them credit for that.
What is your favorite fair? Would you visit the fair of Albacete?