Every year in mid August, the City of Eternal Spring and its surroundings celebrate the annual flower festival, ‘Feria De Flores’. This year it falls between the 8th to 15th of August and luckily the infamous ‘Desfile de Silleteros’, which translates to ‘Parde of flower carriers’, is back! The festival is Medellin’s most vibrant, colorful, and popular event, and this year is an important one because it’s the first time it will be celebrated since 2019, due to the pandemic. If you are here in summer, it would be foolish to miss the city’s biggest event.
The governments of Medellin have announced over 25 public and private events to take place this year, so here is a guide to what’s going on in and around the city.
What is the Festival de Flores and why?
In 1957 the city’s farmers held a once very humble and local gathering between each other, which they called ‘The flower festival’, to honor one of the oldest traditions and display their hard honest work. It has somewhat transformed since then into the city’s most celebrated event, attracting international artists and tourists. During the festival, there will be events every day covering food, art, music, flowers, and of course lots of drinks! So, in other words, get your party mode switched on!
Every year they launch a new video accompanied by the famous Festival De Flores theme, keep an eye out for the latest one here. Be warned, it’s catchy, so you’ll be humming it in no time.
Most updated schedule
| Event | Date | Location |
| Launch of the Flower Festival | July 27 | Aeroparque Juan Pablo II |
| Obelisk Innaugural Concert | August 5 | Stadium Sector |
| Ball de las Flores | TBD | Aeroparque Juan Pablo II |
| Vasquez Building Flower Decorations | August 5 – 15 | Vásquez Building |
| Music and Food in Pueblito Paisa | TBD | Pueblito Paisa |
| Party in Parque de los Deseos | TBD | Parque de los Deseos |
| Escenerio Colombia | TBD | Ciudad del Rio |
| Todos Somos Uno | TBD | Teatro Pablo Tobón Uribe |
| Parque de las Flores | TBD | Parque Juanes de la Paz |
| Escenario Infantil | TBD | Parque Norte |
| Bicycle Parade | TBD | The Whole City |
| La Feria en Mi Corregimiento | TBD | Santa Elena, San Cristóbal, San Antonio de Prado, Altavista, San Sebastián de Palmitas |
| Art Circuit of Medellín | Barrio Colombia, Provenza, Perpetuo Socorro, Palacio Nacional | |
| Don Omar y Juan Luis Guerra The Kings Concert | August 12 | Anastasia Giradot Stadium |
| Silletero Parade | August 15 | Avenida del Rio |
Desfile de Silleteros
The reason why anyone comes to Medellin for the Festival de Flores is the flower carriers Parade. The ‘silleteros’ are basically huge, colorful adornments of flower filled wooden saddles, carried on the backs of the local growers, during a lively parade. The flower art usually represents something symbolic in Colombian culture. They are said to weigh around 140lbs, which is very impressive relative to the size of the farmer!
The official parade takes place in the city, Avenida Del Rio, on 15th August. The parade was abandoned in the last couple of years due to COVID-19 regulations and crowd control but now it’s back, you definitely shouldn’t miss it!
Usually, the most popular place to see the flowers, and where they are grown, is just above Medellin, situated in the mountains of the orient, in the very pretty and fresh town of Santa Elena. The Silleteros are also made here so you can be the first to see them in production and built from scratch by the farmers. There are also flower farms in San Sebastián de Palmitas, Altavista, San Cristóbal, and San Antonio de Prado.
If you’re interested in visiting Santa Elena to make the most of your trip, you can contact the reliable Medellin VIP for tours and have your whole day organized, from a pick-up right outside your luxury apartment to a drop off wherever the night leads you.
Music Events
You won’t get away without dancing here, and every event will feature the music of some kind. The one to look forward to this year is Don Omar and Juan Luis Guerra on August 12th at The Anastasia Girardot Stadium, in the Estadio zone. This is the stadium of the local football teams, DIM Medellin and Atletico Nacional. Doors open at 4:00 pm and the concert will last until around 3:00 am.
The launch of the festival on July 27th will also feature big crowds, food stalls, and a concert of national and international artists. This takes place at Aeroparque Juan Pablo II.
The best way to get around is by taxi, if you know where you’re going, or by hiring a trusted driver. If in doubt you can always contact a local concierge service to arrange transport and the itinerary for you, save the hassle of planning, and guarantee your safety so you can just let go and enjoy the party!
Note: Before planning make sure you check to see if the event is free orif a paid ticket is required, if so you can buy them here.
Parties
There are a few confirmed parties happening this year that you won’t forget in a hurry.
One of them is the Big Party in Parque Los Deseos. This will begin by day and go late into the night. It will host a cultural, ethnic, and gospel music event during the day and come nightfall the traditional Festival of the Troubadours. A troubadour is a Colombian tradition whereby a poet comes up to the microphone and sings along to guitar tunes while making up the lyrics on the spot. A sort of ancient day freestyle rap battle, as they are given a random topic and fight it out between them until there is nothing left to say. To finalize, the best national troubadour is selected.
The Ball de las Flores, an event to celebrate diversity takes place at Aeroparque Juan Pablo II, still with no confirmed date but keep an eye out for this one as it’s supposed to be a wild one, and particularly LGBTQ-friendly.
Parade of classic and antique cars
The parade of classic cars is the second biggest show of the whole festival. Colombians and foreigners line the streets all over the city to see locals parade their classic and antique jewels, which include cars, motorbikes, and jeeps. The parade provokes a lot of joining in as they slowly cruise down the avenues while colorfully decorated with flowers and music, the host and his family usually adorn classic period clothes.
The Chivas parade – not quite as popular but a similar concept, as the traditional ‘Chiva’ bus parades down the streets blasting music and covered in flower decorations. You can probably even hop on for a ride, just like they do in the small towns of Colombia.
Bicycle Parade – People riding their old, new and classic bicycles line the streets covered head to toe in flowers, usually while carrying their own boombox and filling the city with music. Anyone can join this activity, so if you’re up for it you can rent a bike and take a very memorable tour of the city.
Pueblito Paisa and Parque de los Flores
The small hill situated between Laureles and Belen is already a fixed attraction for many as it mimics a traditional Colombian town and provides spectacular 360 views of the city. During the festival it will be lit up with music, food and lots of fun. It’s worth the little hike or drive up the hill for an unforgettable party atmosphere with a very special backdrop.
Parque Juanes de la Paz will be host to a similar scene full of lively music and crowds enjoying the flower festivities with local bands, food stalls and cultural events.
Other notable events to add to your calendar
Parque Norte for Kids – If you are here with the family and want them to participate just head to Parque Norte that will be transformed into its own mini, kid friendly, flower festival. They will even host a Children’s Troubadour Festival among other family-friendly activities.
Escenario Colombia – Cuidad Del Rio will be filled with traditional foods, handicrafts and artesanal products from the Antioquia region. A more laid back atmosphere where you can grab something to eat and drink while catching up with friends. A perfect place to pick up some souvenirs and savor the traditional Colombian cuisine.
Vásquez Building Flower Decorations – The building will be decorated with flowers from the ground upwards, inside and out, for the whole of the festival and after. A good place to really take some time to check out the details of the designs and artesanal work, and take some photos.
Medellin Art Circuit – The galeries around the city will put on a show to join in the festivities. There will be art shows in Poblado, Provenza and the Palacio Cultural displaying artists’ work crafted especially for the flower festival.
Orchid Show, Botanical Gardens – A breath of fresh air right in the center of the city, the beautiful Botanical Gardens will dedicate an event to the national flower, the Orchid.
Keep an eye out for updates of confirmed dates and times for the events and remember to check if it’s a paid or free event while planning to avoid any surprises. If you are in Medellin and looking for a trusted tour company, local guide, concierge service or even high class vacation rentals then don’t hesitate to check out the various packages Medellin VIP offers.
