Fill out your data to get our latest news and publications








    Medellín’s Flower Festival: a pageant full of tradition

    Every year during the first days of August, Medellín is filled with flowers and parties for one of the most traditional celebrations in Colombia: the Flower Festival.

    The Flower Festival is the city’s most important event, for it embodies all the values of the people of Antioquia. The festival lasts 10 days and it is part of the Colombian cultural heritage.

    The Silleteros Pageant, the festival’s main event, began when Arturo Uribe Arango, from Medellín’s Office for the Promotion of Tourism, invited 40 silleteros from Santa Elena (Antioquia) to decorate the festival’s first edition in 1957.

    Feria de las Flores en Medellín

    Photo: Intriper

    Silletas are wooden pieces with handles that are filled with bounteous amounts of flowers and carried on people’s backs. Their origin goes as far back as to colonial times when they were used to carry people around the region’s mountains.

    In the beginning of the XX Century they were used by peasants to carry flowers from Antioquia’s towns to Medellín, where they were sold. Although silletas are no longer used for commerce, they represent the region’s tradition.

    A festival for everybody

    The festival holds touristic activities such as the classic automobile parade, the National Equine Fair, the Troubadour National Festival, the Sound on Wheels Championship and the Orchestra Festival.

    This year’s edition will hold over 150 events, many activities and concerts between August 3 and 12.

    Over 4.000 foreign tourists, and 10.000 Colombian tourists from overseas are expected every year.

    Discover all the best of Colombia in the Flower Festival in Medellin.   

    4.1/5 - (67 votes)
    Artículos recomendados
    molecular gastronomy, gastronomic tour, gastronomy tourism, Traditional Food, culinary tourism

    Why is Bogota a gastronomic capital?

    With the inclusion of four Bogotá eateries in the list of Latin America’s 50 top restaurants published by the British...
    Coffee selection of the Sierra Nevada.

    Ancestral mountains: a journey through the coffee of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta

    Not just any coffee is grown across the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. There, on the slopes of Colombia’s tallest...
    tourism, travel, Colombia, destination

    Why is Colombia the best country to travel? Your top 10 travel and tourism questions answered.

    Colombia is an amazing country, bursting with vibrant cities, unmissable tourist attractions and hundreds of things to do. Here we...
    Gastronomy, Food, Colombian dishes, Colombian food, traditional colombian dishes

    Typical Colombian Foods You Should Definitely Try While Visiting Colombia

    Due to its privileged location and rich cultural heritage, Colombia’s cuisine offers a wide range of ingredients and preparations depending...
    Library Colombia

    Five books to help you understand the people of Colombia

    Colombia is a diverse country and so are its people with their multitude of origins, languages, food music and more....
    Handcrafted zuncho baskets made in Colombia | Colombia Country Brand

    Zuncho baskets: handcrafted all around Colombia

    A handcrafted basket made out of recyclable material that is used in Colombian marketplaces is currently exported to other countries...
    colombian art

    Experience the best of Colombian art in Bogota, Medellin and Cartagena

    Colombian art is booming, with more than 40 art galleries opening across the country in the past few years, several...
    Cartagena, turismo por Colombia, colombian tourism

    The best places in Colombia to spend the holidays

    Christmas is the highlight of the year in Colombia and the country’s towns and cities go all out to impress...
    Cacao colombiano

    Why is Colombian chocolate so special?

    Chocolate is a magical food. It boosts our endorphins, which makes us feel good, it boosts our serotonin levels, which...
    A beautiful desert in The Guajira region. Among the best places to visit in Colombia | Colombia Country Brand

    Five of the best places to visit in Colombia that will leave you wondering if you should leave at all

    There are few places on Earth that instantly make people fall in love. Discover the best places to visit in...