Feria de las Flores – Medellín
Every year during the Feria de Las Flores, or Flower Festival the city of Medellín hosts a week-long schedule of events and festivities including the world famous parade of the silleteros.
During the month of August, the flower festival attracts people from all over Colombia to the city of Medellín. Visitors arrive to the city from all parts of the world including the USA, Australia and Europe just to witness the eye-catching attractions that include a parade through the city on horses, an orchid competition, music festivals and parade of the silleteros.
Steeped in rich tradition and botanical excellence, the city of Medellín truly comes alive as it displays its proud heritage in the brilliant colours of the flowers that grow in the countryside that surrounds the city. Feria de las Flores is a central element of Medellín’s cultural identity.
Also included in the week-long schedule of events at the Feria de Las Flores is a fireworks show to begin and end the festival, a dog and pets parade, a classic & antique car parade, Sanalejo Market, the Flowers & Birds Expo, an equestrian fair, Humour City comedy events, the orchestral festival, a chiva convoy, popular and folk music concerts, activities for children, and more. The Feria de Las Flores is packed with options for the visiting tourist and international traveller.
History of Feria de las Flores
The first Feria de Las Flores or flower festival took place in the month of May, 1957 under the direction of Arturo Uribe who was a member of the tourist bureau for Medellín. It was his idea that the department of Antioquia and the city of Medellín should host a tribute to the thriving flower industry of Colombia.
Originally referred to as The Flower Party, the original festival lasted only 5 days. It proved to be a popular local attraction, unlike the large-scale events of Feria de Las Flores in the modern era that attracts international attention and includes sophisticated social events, music concerts, parades, expos and private parties.
The original event included
- A flower exhibition that took place in the high atrium of the Basilica Metropolitana organised by the Medellín Gardener’s Club and Monsignor Tulio Botero.
- A silleteros parade that included the participation of 40 campesino families from the town of Santa Elena located just outside of Medellín. These families walked through the downtown area in a circuit that ended at Parque Bolívar.
- The original event also included musical celebrations, dancing parties as well as a beauty pageant and custom horse-drawn carriages.
