This is a festival deeply rooted in the popular culture of our town and is held in honor of the patron saint, Santiago Apóstol.
According to oral sources, the origin of our fair dates back to the 17th century. At that time the livestock fair was held on the day of San Antonio, probably because on the 13th of June of 1676 the Church was constituted as the parish church of Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación and its baptismal font was blessed. When the priest Antonio José de la Chica blessed the chapel in honour of San Antonio de Padua on 13 June 1771, the fair was already enjoying great splendour.
The market was held on the plains of Santa Bárbara, which is a series of crossroads between Granada and Osuna and between Ecija and Antequera. The local farmers used to work in growing cereals and working as charcoal burners as well. There were families who came to the village only once a year, and that was to celebrate the fair of Saint Antonio.
The idea of moving the day of the fair to the Day of Santiga began to arise among locals and strangers, as there was more fruit to offer to the market. As a result of this, a fair continued to be held on the day of Saint Antonio and another on the day of Santiago, but it is not clear how long this duo of fairs lasted. However, we can confirm that the first “feria” celebrated on the 25th of July occurred in 1871.
Nowadays, this fair lasts for five days, one of them coinciding with the day Patron Saint. Numerous “casetas” are set up at the fairgrounds, in addition to the “Caseta Municipal”, making the feria one of the most important in the area. In addition, many amusement rides are located for the enjoyment of the little ones.
The fair begins at night and it ends in the wee hours of the morning. During the evenings, there are popular games that bring together most of the young people in the town. In addition, months prior to the “feria”, games and competitions are held and end during the week of the fair. It is also worth mentioning the election of the Queen and Ladies of the Fiestas and the Mister.
Due to the summer dates on which this festival is held, coinciding with holidays for many people, and the character of the locals, it is usually a meeting point for all “Casaricheños”, relatives and emigrants and people from towns near our village, where they enjoy a few days of joy.
Throughout time, the Feria of Santiago has had different venues, such as the current Town Hall Square or the Libertad Avenue. Since 2003, it has been held in the current fairgrounds.
