Feria del Sol (Mérida) facts for kids
The Feria del Sol (which means Fair of The Sun) is a big international festival. It is also known as the Carnaval Taurino de América (Bullfighting Carnival of America). This exciting event happens every year in February in the city of Mérida, Venezuela. The Feria takes place at the same time as the traditional carnival celebrations.
The festival is packed with fun activities. These include:
- Exciting bull competitions
- Shows of art and culture
- Exhibitions for businesses and animals
- Live concerts
- Colorful parades
- Various sports events
- A special competition to choose La Reina Del Sol (The Queen of The Sun)
Contents
History of the Sun Fair
The city of Mérida, also called the City of the Knights, has a rich history in Venezuela. However, it didn't have big fairs like other cities such as San Cristóbal, Barquisimeto, or Maracaibo.
Building a Bullring
A group of people who loved bullfighting had an idea. They wanted to build a Plaza de Toros (a bullring) in Mérida. This would allow Mérida to have its own bullfighting season and a fair that would be among the most important in the country.
The first fair was planned for December 9 and 10. This date was chosen because it was close to the feast of the Immaculate Conception. Famous bullfighters from different countries came to perform. These included César Faraco, Manuel Benítez "El Cordobés", Francisco Rivera "Paquirri", Julio Aparicio, Curro Girón, Paco Camino, and the horse-riding bullfighter Juan Cañedo from Mexico. They faced bulls from Colombia.
First Events and Challenges
Heavy rain stopped the first bullfighting event from happening as planned. Because of this, two events were held on the second day. One took place in the morning and another in the afternoon. This was the first time two bullfighting events happened in the same arena on the same day in Venezuela. Before this, in Caracas, two events had happened on the same day, but in two different arenas.
In December 1968, the fair itself was not held. However, a bullfighting event did take place on April 13, 1968, during Holy Saturday. It was a fantastic show with bullfighters like "Dosgutiérrez", Alfredo Leal, Curro Girón, and Pepe Cáceres.
The Carnival Connection
After this, it was decided to hold these fairs at the same time as the well-known carnivals. This is how the event became known as Feria del Sol. In 1969, the first bullfighting carnival officially took place. It featured three bullfighting events from February 15 to 17. The first event included bulls from "Valparaíso" and bullfighters like Alfredo Leal, Daniel "Matatoba" Santiago, Manuel Benítez "El Cordobés", and the Venezuelan Lucio Requena. Alfredo Leal was the first to win an "ear" (a special award) at the fair.
Since then, the Feria del Sol has grown a lot. It is now one of the most important fairs in Venezuela. It is also very well-known in the world of bullfighting. The "Immaculate" fair was held in 1990, 1991, and 1997, but it was not as popular as the Feria del Sol.
See also
In Spanish: Feria Internacional del Sol para niños
