Last updated on December 20, 2023.

The biggest social event in Medellín is the annual Flower Festival (Feria de las Flores), held annually in August.

 

Intro to the Flower Festival

The entire city is abuzz during this week-long festival full of special events, classic car shows, concerts, flower exhibitions, and parties. The Flower Festival culminates with a parade featuring hundreds of flower arrangements carried on the backs of silleteros (porters), who prepare the floats the night before the parade in Santa Elena. The festival has been a part of Medellín’s cultural heritage since 1957.

 

I was able to attend some of the events during the festival in 2014, but could not attend the parade because I had to travel to get back to work the next day. I was very happy to have attended this great event that Medellín is very proud of hosting. It was a unique experience that I won’t forget, and I would love to go back one year to experience the parade.

 

Flower Festival Event at Plaza Mayor

The first event I attended was an exhibition of huge animals made of flowers. The exhibition was at Plaza Mayor. Animals such as jaguars, frogs, armadillos, and birds were featured in brightly colored flowers. Admission was free.

Event at Plaza Mayor in the Flower Festival, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia
Event at Plaza Mayor
Iguana at Plaza Mayor in the Flower Festival, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia
Iguana
Jaguar
Bird at Plaza Mayor in the Flower Festival, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia
Bird

 

Craft Fair

Next, we visited the Craft Fair (Feria de Artesanías) to view some very creative floral arrangements and prize-winning flowers. This took place at the Medellín Botanical Garden (Jardín Botánico de Medellín) in a special exhibition hall. There were several other events outside the exhibition hall such as shops selling crafts, food products, clothes, and souvenirs. There was music and dancing and plenty of food and drinks to go around. It was a very festive atmosphere. Admission varies from year to year.

Craft Fair at the Medellín Botanical Garden in the Flower Festival, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia
Craft Fair
Craft Fair at the Medellín Botanical Garden in the Flower Festival, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia
Craft Fair

There were some very creative arrangements using old cars and dining rooms among others.

Craft Fair at the Medellín Botanical Garden in the Flower Festival, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia
Craft Fair
Craft Fair at the Medellín Botanical Garden in the Flower Festival, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia
Craft Fair

The most popular arrangement was a tribute to the Colombian football team.

Colombian football team arrangement at the Craft Fair at the Medellín Botanical Garden in the Flower Festival, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia
Colombian football team arrangement

 

Silleteros Tour

The best event I attended at the Flower Festival was the Silleteros Tour (Tour de los Silleteros). It was much different and a lot more fun than the events I was able to attend in Medellín. This event took me up to the municipality of Santa Elena, a rural area about 40 minutes from Medellín.

Basically, you walk from house to house to see the silleteros preparing the floats for the next day’s parade. All in all, we were told there were over 25 houses participating.

 

Getting There

First, we waited over two hours in the bus queue in Medellín. The bus took us high into the mountains above the city. The temperature quickly dropped and it became very cool. When we arrived, we were dropped off at an intersection and had to walk uphill about 20 minutes to the first house.

Walking down the street in Santa Elena

Along the way, street vendors were selling all kinds of foods and drinks. Some were dedicated strictly to aguardiente.

A chorizo truck
Street food

 

The Floats

We stopped at the first house and checked out the floats. They featured a very intricately detailed float dedicated to the Colombian football team. It was a popular theme at many of the homes.

Watching a man make a Colombian football team float at the Silleteros Tour in the Flower Festival, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia
Watching a man make a Colombian football team float
Colombian football team float at the Silleteros Tour in the Flower Festival, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia
Colombian football team float

The next house was a 10 minute walk up the road. They had some very beautiful floats, including a tribute to Gabriel García Márquez.

A woman making a float at the Silleteros Tour in the Flower Festival, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia
A woman making a float
A float honoring Gabriel García Márquez at the Silleteros Tour in the Flower Festival, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia
A float honoring Gabriel García Márquez

They also had a very festive atmosphere with a live band, tents, drinking, and dancing.

 

We continued to about four more houses which all offered similar events. The further down the road we got, the more drunk and lively the crowds were. Police were patrolling to make sure things didn’t get out of hand and everyone was safe. It was a very well organized event that went on well into the night. A friend who stayed late said he made it back to the city after 3am.

Me with a float

 

Map of Flower Festival Events

Author

Owner of Paisadventure. World traveler. Chicago sports lover. Living in Colombia.

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