12 MONTHS OF FAIRS, CARNIVALS AND FESTIVITIES IN COLOMBIA
TOP COLOMBIA TIPS
12 MONTHS OF FAIRS, CARNIVALS AND
FESTIVITIES TO ENJOY IN COLOMBIA.
By:
Néstor Meléndez Soler
Top Colombia Tips
Colombia for sure, is one of the countries that has
more fairs, carnivals and festivities to celebrate all year round in the whole
world. It is inherent to the Colombian
way of life to be happy and to make a party of almost every occasion. At
every city, town or region there are festivities made for the entertainment of
locals and visitors. Many excuses are brought to celebrate in community, The
majoritie of them, are a heritage that come from many years back in time.
In the following lines I will tell you about very
important events that happen in my country from January to December during
every year.
With this information in hand, you will be able to better
plan your vacation and your visit to paradise.
So let´s get started and be prepared to be amazed by
the many events that happen in Colombia from the first month of the year to the
last. Here they are, the Top Colombia
Tips for “Fairs, Carnivals and Festivities”.
January:
Right after the old year ends and the new one begins at
the city of Pasto in the department of Nariño, southern region of Colombia in
limits with Ecuador, the “Carnaval de
Blancos y Negros” (The Whites and Blacks Carnival) takes place every year with
an event that calls for racial integration in a very festive way.
At the Carnival elaborated floats in a beautiful inauguration parade open the
festivities, at the following day there is the “Whites day”, in which everybody is “painted” in white with baby
powder or a human safe paint and at the next day is the “Blacks day” in which everyone is “painted” in black with either shoe
polish or human safe paint.
Music, street theater and many activities are held at
the city and at the towns of the Nariño region and the majority of the
population celebrates in a very festive way.
At Cartagena de Indias, during the first two weeks, arrives
the Cartagena Music Festival with the
sounds of the classical music. Colonial plazas of the old city and its theaters
fill the magical realism ambience with classical masterpieces of worldly
renowned composers, and some of the best performers of the actual classical
music scene of the planet.
The celebration of the new year goes to the coffee zone of Colombia, to the city of
Manizales in the department of Caldas
where a Spanish heritage tradition takes form as the Feria de Manizales. The Feria also crowns the beauty queen for the International Coffee Pageant which not
only elects the queen because of her beauty but also the one that knows more
about coffee; the way it grows, forms of preparation and how she will help to
promote in the planet the consumption of the beverage that wakes up the world.
There are also musical concerts, folkloric expressions
and corridas de toros (bullfights).
Manizales is a very good plan to have a great time and
enjoy the beautiful region known as the Eje Cafetero (Coffee Axis) where you
can appreciate the “Coffee Cultural
Landscape” a combination of factors that make this area the perfect place
to cultivate the best coffee of the world. You may encounter Juan Valdés at the Feria and for sure
you will enjoy to the max.
On the last week of January at Cartagena de Indias as
the main city and other cities and towns of Colombia, the Hay Festival, a top world cultural festival takes place. I quote
here from their web page what they are all about:
“Hay Festival brings
readers and writers together to share stories and ideas in sustainable events
around the world. The festivals inspire, examine and entertain, inviting
participants to imagine the world as it is and as it might be”.
February:
In the second month of the year all eyes look to Barranquilla, the capital of the department
of Atlántico in the northern coast of Colombia over the Caribbean Sea.
At this vibrant and industrious city, the 4th
most populated of the country, every year the “Carnaval de Barranquilla” takes on place and makes one heck of a
celebration.
It is held 4 days before the Ash Wednesday prior to
the lent. Most of the years it is held on February, though there are some years
that it falls on March.
The Carnival has been held since the beginning of the
20th century when Barranquilla began to be a very important port on
the Atlantic Sea and the gateway for imports and exports to and from Colombia.
Therefore the city became a mix of people between the native barranquilleros
and a variety of immigrants from many countries of the world, who contributed
to the cultural melting pot that Barranquilla turned to be.
At the Carnaval
everything is a complete party. The Cumbia, is the music genre that congregates
the activities that are held all over the place. The celebration begins on
the Saturday with the “Batalla de Flores” (Flowers Battle) where many floats
and cumbia dancing groups inaugurate the festivities. Then on Sunday the “Gran
Parada de Tradición y Folclor” (Great Parade/Tradition and Folcklore) takes
place at the Cumbiodromo and it is here where representatives from many
neighborhoods, clubs and cultural organizations dance to the rhythm of the
cumbia showing their festive outfits made specially for the occasion. On Saturday
and Sunday there comes the Festival de Orquestas (Orchestras Festival) that
gives a very well reputed prize in the Caribbean music scene, the “Congo de Oro” and there is every day
of the Carnaval, “Baila a la Calle” (Dance
to the Street) a free party held on a street with the best cumbia, salsa,
merengue, vallenato and Caribbean orchestras of the world.
All around the
city there are parties for all budgets, from the ones at the top hotels and
social clubs, to those ones in the popular neighborhoods of the city all
around. On Tuesday the festivities finish with the burial of Joselito Carnaval
the figure that represents the eternal party man that goes to rest till next
year.
The Carnaval de Barranquilla is how barranquilleros
say about it, “Quien lo vive es quien lo
goza” (Who lives it is who enjoys it).
Marzo:
March is the audiovisual and movies month of the year
as at, Cartagena de Indias, the Festival
Internacional de Cine de Cartagena (International Movie Festival), takes
place into the walls of the city.
It is a very important festival for the international
indy movie scene, as well as for the television industry of Colombia, that
produces the famous all over LatinAmerica Colombian novelas, and other
television formats.
The India
Catalina awards are like the Oscars for the movie and TV industry people of
Colombia. So therefore, the city gets packed with actresses, actors, directors,
producers and obviously movie screenings, concerts, big parties and
celebrations all over the place.
April:
April is rainy season all around Colombia, but there
is no problem for that in the The Land of the Sabrosura.
At Bogotá, takes
place the Feria del Libro, the Bogotá Book Fair, an important stop for the
Hispanic book market industry. It is a very good plan to do if you are at the capital of Colombia. Every year it has
a different guest country from all around the planet and many writers and
conferences are held as well as concerts, events and parties.
Holy week for Christians or Passover for Jewish are
celebrated according to the moment when the moon is full by the northern spring
equinox. So that happens between the end of March and before the end of April,
it changes every year.
And Holly week
gives way to very important religious celebrations all over Colombia, but
we have to highlight two places where the commemoration of the death and
resurrection of Jesus Christ, really goes to another level of devotion.
Popayán in the department of Cauca
and Mompox in the department of Bolívar are two colonial cities that maintain a tradition that
comes from the 16th century with emotive processions and total
spiritual recollection.
In Popayán the commemoration includes the Festival de Música Religiosa (Religious
Music Festival) with presentations of classical music and choruses all over
the old city churches, plazas and theaters. The city is beautiful and it
remains as it was in times of the Spanish Conquista, which gives the perfect
scenery to the moment.
In Mompox,
“Tierra Santa” (Holy Land) as is known, the devotion is recreated as if
time had not passed by in this small town built over an island, in the shores
of the Magdalena River. The same costumes, processions and customs are
recreated year after year as if it was the exact moment when the Spanish built
this timeless place on earth.
Delicious sweet treats are part of the tradition and neighbors give them away
to other neighbors and visitors. They do many kinds of them, always maintaining
the original recipes that were handed from generation to generation.
In this month is also held at Valledupar, capital of the department of Cesar, the “Festival de la
Leyenda Vallenata” (Vallenato Legend Festival) where a king is elected from
the best interpreters of the accordion.
The Vallenato
is a Colombian musical genre that is very popular all over the country, it
is played with accordion, a small drum called caja and guacharaca that is a slotted
board played with a metal rod also a singer, that in the old times was the same
accordionist, chants over songs of love or events that happened all around.
When it started at the beginning of the 20th century the vallenato
interpreters were kind of troubadours that told the news from town to town and
went on as music stars do today in their tours.
Now Vallenato
is the musical genre that is more popular in Colombia.
At the Festival the whole city devotes to the rhythm
of the music and very important people from Colombia go to the city to enjoy
the best performers of this traditional music that has evolved to be known all
over Latino and Hispanic musical markets from Argentina to Canada and Spain.
Gabriel García Márquez, the awarded literature Nobel Prize recipient was one
of the founders of the Festival Vallenato, back in 1968.
May:
This is the month
of the Mothers in Colombia so there are celebrations and festivities all
over the place in honor to the Moms and also to Virgin Mary, as Colombia is a
very Catholic country with many Christian traditions.
The Andean
Colombian Music also celebrates an important event, as the Festival Mono Nuñez is held at Ginebra in
the department of Valle del Cauca. At this festival the participants show
off their talents in the performing of the typical music of the Colombian
mountains. This genres are played with guitar and tiple (12 strings kind of
guitar) and the music is really beautiful.
At Ginebra, people say they make the best Sancocho de Gallina of the world. The
sancocho is a soup made with hen, green plantain, and other ingredients such as
potatoes and yucca. If you go there you have to have a sancocho and taste the
wonders of Colombian typical gastronomy.
June:
At the half of the year all of Colombia celebrates for
one or another motive, and folkloric festivals are a perfect excuse to party
and have fun to the rhythm of different genres that make part of the country
cultural traditions.
In Ibague,
capital of the department of Tolima, the Festival Folclórico (Folk
Festival) takes place as very important representatives of music, dance and another
cultural expressions from all parts of the country come to this city to perform
and delight the public at this hot city that is known as the music capital of
Colombia.
And this is just the beginning, as in Neiva, the capital of the department of
Huila another big party takes place. It is the Reinado Nacional del Bambuco (National Bambuco Pageant), Bambuco is
another musical genre of Colombia, it is original of the Andean mountains and
it is one of the folkloric treasures of the country. The Bambuco queen is
elected, not only because of her beauty but as how well she dances the “San Juanero”, a song played with a big
brass band.
The festivities in Neiva are very good and this is
because of how happy is the people from this region. Music concerts, typical
food, wonderful events are part of this wonderful festival.
At other part of Colombia, the Llanos Orientales, in Villavicencio capital of the department of
Meta, the “Festival Internacional del Joropo” (Joropo International
Festival) takes place. Here the best performers of Joropo music, another musical
genre from this region that Colombia shares with Venezuela, come to this city
and show their talent to their fans. There are also many events that exalt the
traditions and culture of the region. This is an agricultural stronghold of the
country that produces many products for internal market and exportation.
And that’s not all as in the northern part of Colombia
in San Pelayo, at the department of
Cordoba the “Festival del Porro” takes place. This is another musical genre
that is derived from the Cumbia. At this event many dancers take the streets as
the bands play the traditional music till the morning hours. It is a wonderful
experience with festive music and traditional dances that will make you dance
as well to the rythm of the porro.
July:
The seventh month of the year calls to go to the sea,
and is at Santa Marta, capital of the
department of Magdalena, where the “Fiestas
y Reinado del Mar” (Sea Festivities Beauty pageant) takes place a this touristic city over the
Caribbean sea.
At this wonderful event many sea oriented activities happen
and the queen that besides her beauty has more knowledge of aquatic sports like
sailing, skiing and others can take the throne. It is a very nice event with
concerts and many things to do in this historical and wonderful city.
August:
This is a mongh with many activities to be done as the
three major cities of Colombia have
massive events that literally move millions of people to dance and to have
fun in many ways.
In Bogotá, the
capital of Colombia, happens the “Festival
de Verano” (Summer Festival) a whole set of events that are set up to
celebrate the birthday of the city. There are concerts, a half marathon,
fireworks shows, a huge orchid exposition, and many activities that change
every year. The whole city celebrates and though it doesn’t stops the normal
activities you can feel the festive spirit all around.
At Medellín,
the capital of Antioquia, the “Feria de las Flores” (Flowers Fair) takes
place and it makes the city of the eternal spring an even more happy place.
There is a contest for the silleteros, that are traditional peasants that make
silletas, an artisanal huge bouquet of flowers that they carry on their backs
showing their works of art. There are also big concerts and party all around
the city as well as many events for the whole family.
And in Cali,
capital of the department of Valle the “Festival Petronio Álvarez” a black
heritage music and cultural festival makes the city move to the rhythm of the
traditional music of the Pacific coast of Colombia, where many of its
population is from African descent. This is a party by itself and during its 3
days people can taste the food and drink the spirits that are made in a
traditional way.
September:
In September the party moves to Quibdó, the capital of the department of Chocó, where the
traditional festivities in honor to the patron of the city, Saint Francis, take
place in the famous “Fiestas de San
Pacho”.
At this festivities the whole city participates of the
celebration dancing to the rhythm of the chirimía another music genre of
Colombia. The majority of the population of Quibdó is of African descent, so
the dances and concerts and happiness are part of the whole party that involves
the whole place. The neighborhoods organize in verbenas and dance as one in
what they call a “revolú”. The fiestas of San Pacho are a tradition that are
part of the world heritage and are
for sure one of the happiest of all the country.
At Bucaramanga,
the capital of the department of Santander the celebration is called Feria
Bonita (Beautiful Fair) and it has many activities like concerts, artisanal
and gastronomical events. Also there is an famed Cattle exposition and fair and
agricultural showcase. Happy people in a beautiful city where temperature is
always fine.
And Jazz has a protagonist role in the month of September
as two very important Jazz festivals
take place one in Bogotá and the other one at Mompox. Very important
performers come to this festivals to enjoy the public with traditional and
latin jazz.
October:
Now the party goes to Villavicencio the capital of the Colombian llanos (plains). This
part is an extended green plain that is shared with the neighbor country of
Venezuela. At this city the “Encuentro
Mundial de Coleo” an international competition of Coleo, a typical llanero
sport related to the work on the cattle fields. The contestants mounted on a
horse follow a bull that is released to run on a closed pit and grab them by
the tail and turn them upside down. Collateral to the tournament there are
concerts and many other activities referred to the work in the cattle ranches
that are all over the zone.
November:
It´s almost the end of the year and Cartagena de Indias turns to be the star of
the month. The Independence of Cartagena is the motive to celebrate in the
city, the folkloric groups take on the streets and in every neighborhood the
sounds of cumbia and champeta make the soundtrack of the fiestas.
To complement the festivities every year the Colombia Beauty Pageant is held and the
queens of every department participate to be crowned as the most beautiful
women of the country for a year. Many events surround the pageant including a
floats parade, a boats parade by the bay, many social events and the queens do
social campaigns at the poor neighborhoods of the city surroundings. The Miss
Colombia gets to represent the country at Miss Universe, contest where is very
normal to see Colombian beauty queens at the top spots of the competition to be
elected as the most beautiful woman of the universe.
In November also, at Bogotá, the sounds of salsa can be enjoyed at “Salsa al Parque” (Salsa to the Park) a free festival with the best
performers of this music from all around the Caribbean.
December:
The last month of the year is the happiest of all in Colombia. Here, Christmas is a big family and
community celebration and the lightings are a trademark of the season. The cities and towns change the look of the
public spaces and turn them into special places full of colors, lights and fun
to be admired and enjoyed by locals and visitors.
The season starts on the night of the 7th of December and eve of the
8th, when in every corner of the country the “noche de velitas” (night of
candles) takes place. This is a tradition that comes from many years ago and it
commemorates the immaculate conception of the Virgin Mary. In honor to the
Mother of God, Colombians light up candles in front of their houses asking for
her favors and celebrating the Christmas time of the year. Wherever you are at
the country you will enjoy as the kids do the lighting of the candles and cities
turn on the alumbrados (city Christmas lights). You don’t have to Catholic or
Christian to celebrate, just be around and the happiness will embrace you.
There is a special town where this night is really
magical, is a town called Quimbaya in
the department of Quindío, in the heart of the coffee zone. At Quimbaya the
alumbrados are really special and it is a recommended place to go on this
special day.
At Tunja, the
capital of Boyacá, there is another celebration in the nine days prior to
Christmas, is called the “Aguinaldo
Boyacense”. There many orchestras and musical groups celebrate the season
with concerts and many cultural events.
At Cali, just
after the 25th the “Feria de Cali” (Cali Fair) takes place and
this city usually a happy one, turns happier. Cali is known to be the capital
of salsa and the dance schools showcase their talent at the salsodromo, there
are also concerts and bullfights that are part of the tradition of the feria. During
the days prior to new year the feria is a reminder of why Colombia is one of
the happiest countries on earth.
There are many other events in Colombia and I will be
talking about them in future posts. Meanwhile enjoy my country that for sure is
paradise.
Remember that travelling
makes you a better person.
Journalist:
Néstor Meléndez Soler
nmelendez.vmg@gmail.com
Check this theme in spanish at https://tousrcolombia.blogspot.com/2018/01/top-colombia-tips-feriasy-fiestas-de.html
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