Feria Fever

Feria (fair) happens once a year in San Se. The week-long festival honors Saint Sebastián who the pueblo is named after. Feria might be compared to town fairs or town “days” in the U.S. For my whole life at home, I experienced Maple Grove Days, where I worked at an over-populated pool, marched in a parade, or enjoyed fireworks. And in college, the city of Northfield became like kin to me, as I studied the story of the defeat of Jesse James and the Younger Gang, square danced with locals, watched the rodeo, or ran in the 15k.

In neither Maple Grove Days, nor Jesse James Days, did I ever feel pressured to witness and participate in everything…EVERYTHING. Since feria comes to San Se just once a year, Guatemalans do not take such attractions lightly. Peace Corps automatically forces an early bedtime, either due to waking up before dawn to travel up a mountain to school, or having friends who are 10-years-old or younger, who naturally go to bed earlier than a 20-something; however, my early bedtimes of the year past, made the feria all-nighters more challenging. If someone saw me making my way home at midnight, I was forced back to the park to watch people dressed in large cartoon-character costumes dance.

But perhaps it was the rueda (Ferris wheel) that proved most challenging in the wee-hours of the morning. The irregular eating schedule of constant street-food grazing might have been grounds for my Pepto Bismal dessert tablets, but for the first time in my amusement-ride-history, I felt nauseated. The rueda was operated with a small motor (maybe the size of one that belonged to a riding lawn mower), but the vueltas (turns) were fast enough to instill fear in even the most seasoned riders. Riding companions included an 11-year-old friend, a 21-year-old friend and her mother, and my site-mate. My total number of rides likely reached a dozen.

When the last day finally came and everyone seemed to be wandering in a sleep-deprived haze, we watched an impressive fireworks display and reveled in the community of San Sebastián, regardless of the long recovery time feria eventually forced.


A view of town from the medium-sized Ferris wheel, taken on one of many rides.


One of the more disturbing, yet awesome, costumes in the parade. The King of Pop is big in Guatemala.


A snippet from the grand finale fireworks at the end of the week.