Feria de las Flores
Which is the best place on earth to see a splendid spectacle of flowers?
The Feria de las Flores in Medellin, Colombia.
The Feria de las Flores or Flowers Festival is a celebration of the beauty of flowers, the local culture of Medellin and its history. For ten days in July-August, the town is transformed into a floral tropical paradise as its streets, balconies and even billboards are adorned with fresh flowers.
Medellin is nicknamed the ‘City of Eternal Spring’ owing to its year round spring climate. Its moderate temperatures are perfect for growing one of the mainstays of its economy—flowers. (Colombia is the world’s second-largest exporter of flowers.) Roses, orchids and lilies among others are the stars of the show.
Originally called ‘The Flower Party’, the festival began in 1957 as a five day event. Today, it is a grand affair that includes a plethora of events such as flower exhibitions, concerts, a beauty pageant, a cavalcade, vintage car and motorbike parades, dance performances and bicycle tours. The main music event is the Trova festival in which the contestants compete in a sing-off. The crowning glory of the festival is the Desfile de Silleteros (Parade of Silleteros). Hundreds of flower growers from the village of Santa Elena, the heartland of the flower growing region, march down the streets of Medellin with large flower arrangements measuring five metres across and weighing up to 70 kg, mounted on wooden frames and strapped to their backs. Prizes are offered for the best floral arrangement. This parade harks back to the colonial times when silleteros (porters) carried luggage and people on silletas (seats) strapped on their backs through the treacherous mountain paths of the Andes.
