Feria de las Flores in Medellín, or The Festival of the Flowers, is one of the most important celebrations of the year in Colombia.
This festival started in 1957 to celebrate the flower industry boom specifically in the Antioquia region of the country and the flower farmers who nurtured this industry. Today, Colombia is the 2nd largest flower industry in the world next to the Netherlands, exporting over 1.5 billion annually!
I attended the 60th annual Feria de las Flores in Medellín back in 2017, and it was truly a moving experience. This festival is a HUGE part of the Paisa culture (people from Medellín and the Antioquia region are called Paisas) and people travel from all over the country (and world!) to see this incredible display of regional and national pride, and artistry that goes into the festival.
This year is the 63rd annual Feria de las Flores in Medellín which would typically take place the first week of August, but due to COVID-19, the event has been moved to November 2-8, 2020.
The Festival of the Flowers is a 7-day festival with all sorts of events and activities, but the most exciting event of all is Desfile de Silleteros, or the Flower Parade. This is a parade where people called Silleteros carry beautiful flower arrangements on their backs which are supported by wooden “silletas.”
Silleteros range in age from children to men and women well into their 60s (maybe 70s!) who bear the weight of these silletas for hours in the hot heat of Medellín. Typically there are over 400 silleteros walking in the parade, and they are extremely respected. In fact, they are regarded as heroes for the day!
As you look through these 40 inspiring photos, notice the pride of the Silleteros. Notice them waving to the crowd, smiling, and feeling the warmth and the energy from the crowd who has gathered to honor and praise them. It truly is a beautiful experience!
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Before the parade begins, people gather in the streets to munch on street snacks like green mango and hydrate with ice-cold beverages – it’s usally VERY HOT !To start the parade, they brought out this gorgeous float (made entirely of flowers of course). On the front, it reads “Del Desfile de Silletero 1957-2017″ (The Parade of the Silleteros 1957-2017”.Make sure to arrive early – the crowd is MASSIVE and quickly becomes 20 people deep along the parade route. If you want any shot at getting up close, you’ll want to get there hours early to stake your claim.The parade starts off with the youngest group of Silleteros, the children.These are the children Silleteros! They carry the smallest flower arrangements on their backs.A sea of flowers!Throughout the parade was plenty of music…and traditional Colombian dancing called Cumbia…and of course Salsa dancing!Then came the traditional part of the parade.Where it went from smaller flower arrangements……to huge arrangements that can weigh up to 170lbs!!!They are truly like heroes for the day 🙂
Many of the flower arrangements are like works of art – and yes they are made entirely out of flowers!I mean, look at the detail on this!Incredible isn’t it?!
Straps worn over the forehead are used by the Silleteros to help bare some of the weight!
“Remembering 60 Years” – this one is honoring those who are no longer with us ❤️Silleteros who are carrying really detailed flower arrangements will often spin all the way around so that the crowd can see the beautiful art on their backs!
This is really hard work under the blazing Colombian sun!
I remember how this Silletero looked right at me for this photo! Bless him.
Look at how HUGE those arrangements are…A Silletero full of pride ☺️He was getting the crowd revved up!
I think this was the most colorful arrangement of the entire parade! Manzana Postobon is a very famous soft drink here in Colombia – it’s apple soda but it’s pink and tastes extremely sweet!
I hope you enjoyed these 40 inspiring photos from Feria de Las Flores in Medellín. It was an event I will remember for the rest of my life, so I really hope you put it on your bucket list as a top thing to do when visiting Colombia!
Make sure to check out all of my Colombia travel content to help plan your epic trip to Colombia once COVID is gone.
I’m Lauren, an award-nominated blogger from Massachusetts on a mission to debunk the myth that the world is a scary and dangerous place for female travelers…starting with Colombia! 29 countries, across 5 continents later, I now call Bogotá, Colombia home after visiting on and off for the past 4.5 years, and am here to show you all the beautiful travel experiences you can have not only here in Colombia, but in destinations across the world!
I’m Lauren, an award-nominated blogger and children's author from Massachusetts on a mission to debunk the myth that the world is a scary and dangerous place for female travelers…especially Colombia! 30+ countries, across 5 continents later, I now call Bogotá, Colombia home after visiting on and off for the past several years, and am here to show you all the beautiful travel experiences you can have not only here in Colombia, but in destinations across the world!
