When to go on a Festival in Colombia

Colombia, a nation having a rich tradition and culture boasts of a number of colorful festivals. The Colombian calendar is full of festivals, carnivals and fairs. Some celebrations are regional, others are national. Some last a day, others go on for a few days. This means that practically each day there is a festival taking place somewhere in Colombia. If you want to learn more for the authentic culture you can stay at the amazing hotels in Colombia and go to these incredible festivals. Carnival of Black and White is held from January 4th to January 6th in Pasto. Its origins date back to the Spanish rule times when slaves were allowed to celebrate on 5th and their masters showed their approval on 6th by painting their faces white. January 5th was the day of the Blacks. During the day of the blacks, the African slaves received a free day during which they unleashed all their happiness, people play at the streets to paint one another in black with colors and cosmetics produced for this particular purpose. January the 6th is the Day of the Whites. During this day, the people play to paint each other in white using white colors and cosmetics together with throwing each other white powder and talcum. In the day of the whites, the final parade takes place with the presentation of floats, krewes, musical and dances groups, and people in costumes, all of them competing for the prizes. The carnival floats are works of high quality and originality elaborated by local artisans who spend the whole year arranging their carriages for this occasion. The Flower Fair is held in Medellin between July and August with its flowers parade called Desfile de Silleteros. It’s the largest exhibition of flowers held in Colombia. This annual celebration has been going strong since 1957 and is always held through the first two weeks in August. Some of the highlights of the fair is the Desfile de Silleteros, which sees processions of campesinos move slowly around town with massive wooden constructions on their backs, each decorated elaborately with flowers of every color and fragrance. The most significant parade takes place each year on 11 August, which is a local holiday. The fair also features exhibitions of orchids, flowers and artisanal crafts. There are flower arranging competitions, a parade of classic automobiles, a beauty parade to find the Queen of the Flowers and, like all Colombian gatherings, lots of live music and dancing. If you plan to visit the Flower fair it could be excellent idea to book your hotel in Medellin in advance, because in this time Colombian hotels are fully booked. The Cali Fair held in Cali from December 25th to New Year's Eve. It is popular for its Salsa marathon concerts attended by renowned Salsa bands. There are horse riding parades, masquerades and dances groups. Every Christmas the people of Cali could be found out in the sun, enjoying the rich festival program that makes up one of Colombia's most renowned national events, the Cali Fair (or Feria de Cali). Vallenato Legend Festival is one of the most significant festivals in Colombia held in Valledupar in April or May. The festival is a celebration of vallenato music and also a competition to find the best accordionist of the year and also to choose the Vallenato King among hundreds of participants from all over the country.

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