Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): Cada año visitamos la feria local y mi mamá se siente orgullosa de sus dulces caseros. - Every year we visit the local fair and my mom feels proud of her homemade sweets.

Cada año visitamos la feria local literally means “Every year we visit the local fair.”
This is parallel to English, where we also use the simple present for routines: We visit every year.

You could also say todos los años visitamos la feria local; it’s the same idea. You don’t need a special tense for repeated actions—present tense works perfectly.

Is it okay to say Visitamos la feria local cada año instead of Cada año visitamos la feria local?

Yes, both word orders are correct and natural.

Cada año visitamos la feria local.
Visitamos la feria local cada año.

Placing cada año at the beginning slightly emphasizes when the action happens (the regularity). Putting it at the end is more neutral. Spanish is fairly flexible with adverbs of time like cada año, mañana, siempre, etc.

Why is it la feria local and not una feria local?

La feria local uses the definite article (la) because it refers to a specific fair that both speaker and listener know about—probably the usual annual event in their town.

la feria local = the local fair (the one everyone knows)
una feria local = a local fair (one of several, not specified)

In this context, it’s a regular, known event, so Spanish naturally uses la.

What’s the difference between mi mamá and mi madre?

Both mean “my mother,” but they differ in tone:

mi mamá – more informal, affectionate, everyday; like “my mom” in English. Very common in Latin America.
mi madre – more formal or neutral; like “my mother.” Used in more formal speech, writing, or when you want a more serious tone.

So here, mi mamá sounds warm and personal, which fits the family context.

Why is it se siente orgullosa and not just siente orgullosa?

Spanish distinguishes between:

sentir (non-reflexive) = to feel (something) physically or emotionally
- Siento frío. – I feel cold.
- Siento tristeza. – I feel sadness.
sentirse (reflexive) = to feel in the sense of “to feel + adjective / adverb”
- Me siento feliz. – I feel happy.
- Se siente orgullosa. – She feels proud.

In the sentence, orgullosa is an adjective, so you need the reflexive sentirse:
mi mamá se siente orgullosa (my mom feels proud).

Why is orgullosa feminine? Could it be orgulloso?

The adjective must agree in gender and number with the subject:

Subject: mi mamá → grammatically feminine, singular
Adjective: orgullosa → also feminine, singular

So mi mamá se siente orgullosa is correct.

If the subject were:

mi papá → mi papá se siente orgulloso
mis padres → mis padres se sienten orgullosos
mis hijas → mis hijas se sienten orgullosas

Why is the preposition de used in orgullosa de sus dulces caseros?

After orgulloso / orgullosa in the sense of “proud of”, Spanish typically uses de:

estar orgulloso de algo/alguien
- Está orgullosa de sus dulces. – She is proud of her sweets.
- Estoy orgulloso de ti. – I’m proud of you.

Using por here would sound odd or change the meaning. The natural pattern is:

orgulloso/a de + noun / pronoun / infinitive

Does sus in sus dulces caseros mean “her,” “his,” “their,” or “your”? How do we know?

Sus is ambiguous in Spanish; it can mean:

his
her
their
your (formal, singular or plural, depending on region)

In this sentence, context helps:

The only person mentioned is mi mamá, so we naturally interpret sus dulces caseros as “her homemade sweets.”

If the context were unclear and you needed to specify, you could use:

los dulces caseros de mi mamá – my mom’s homemade sweets
sus propios dulces caseros – her own homemade sweets (to stress ownership)

What exactly does dulces caseros mean? Is caseros always “homemade”?

Dulces caseros means “homemade sweets” or “homemade candies / desserts.”

dulces – in Latin America, often refers to sweets, candies, desserts, depending on context.
caseros – most commonly means “homemade” (made at home rather than bought).

Casero/casera can also mean:

“house” or “in-house” in other contexts (e.g., queso casero = homemade cheese, comida casera = home-style food).

Here, dulces caseros clearly refers to sweets that she makes herself at home.

Why is caseros masculine plural?

Adjectives in Spanish must agree with the gender and number of the noun they describe.

Noun: dulces – masculine plural
Adjective: caseros – also masculine plural

So:

dulce casero – one homemade sweet (m. sing.)
dulces caseros – homemade sweets (m. pl.)
sopa casera – homemade soup (f. sing.)
sopas caseras – homemade soups (f. pl.)

What’s the difference between cada año and todos los años?

Both usually translate as “every year”, and in most contexts they’re interchangeable.

cada año – slightly more individualizing, like “each year,” often a bit more neutral or standard.
todos los años – literally “all the years,” but used idiomatically like “every year.” Sometimes it can sound a bit more colloquial or emphatic, depending on tone.

In this sentence, cada año and todos los años would both sound natural:

Cada año visitamos la feria local…
Todos los años visitamos la feria local…

Does feria always mean “fair,” or can it mean “market” in Latin America?

In Latin America, feria can mean:

Fair / festival – like a town fair, agricultural fair, or cultural festival, often annual.
- This is the most likely meaning in la feria local here.
(Street) market – in many places, feria also refers to a regular open-air market where people sell fruit, vegetables, food, etc.

So la feria local could mean “the local fair” (event) or “the local market”, depending on regional usage and context. In the sentence with dulces caseros, it fits nicely as an event where people show and sell homemade products.