What is the Feria de las Flores?
Medellín calls itself the city of eternal spring, and for ten days every summer it celebrates the flowers that grow in the hills around it. The Feria de las Flores, the Flower Fair, began in 1957 as a five-day festival and moved to August the next year, to coincide with the anniversary of the independence of Antioquia, the region of which Medellín is the capital. It is now the city's biggest celebration, with more than two million people taking part each year.
Its heart is the Desfile de Silleteros, the parade of the flower carriers, held on the final Sunday. The silleteros are flower growers from Santa Elena, a rural district in the mountains east of the city, and their silletas are wooden frames carried on the back, once used to bring loads down the steep mountain trails to market. Today they carry flowers: huge arrangements of chrysanthemums, gladioli, carnations, sunflowers and more, some in traditional round designs, others shaped into pictures, messages, flags and portraits.
The first parade in 1957 had about 40 silleteros. Today more than 500 take part, children and grandparents among them, competing in categories from the small traditional silleta, made only with flowers grown in Santa Elena, to the monumental ones, which can be several metres tall. A traditional silleta can carry tens of kilos of flowers, and the carriers walk the whole parade route with them. Colombia recognizes the silletero tradition as part of its national cultural heritage.
Around the parade, the city fills with music, food and parties: concerts in the streets and stadiums, a parade of classic and antique cars, an orchid show at the Botanical Garden, and tablados, open-air stages in neighbourhoods across the city.
What to expect
The fair runs for about ten days, with events every day and night, and builds to the parade on the final Sunday.
Opening days
The city celebrates
The fair opens with concerts and parties, and the programme fills with music, dance, gastronomy and cultural events across the city, most of them free.
Mid-fair
Cars, orchids and Santa Elena
The classic and antique car parade brings hundreds of vintage cars onto the streets, the Botanical Garden hosts its orchid and flower exhibition, and Santa Elena opens its farms to visitors.
Final Sunday
The Desfile de Silleteros
Hundreds of silleteros walk the parade route carrying their silletas, to applause and cheers from grandstands and crowds along the way. In 2026 the parade covered about 2.4 kilometres in the afternoon.
A silletero carries his silleta through Medellín
Photo by Felimartinez / flickr · CC BY-SA 2.0
Planning your trip
Getting there
Medellín's main airport, José María Córdova, is in Rionegro, about an hour by road from the city, with connections across the Americas. Domestic flights also use the smaller Olaya Herrera airport in the city. Medellín's metro, with its cable cars up the hillsides, is the easiest way to get around.
Where to stay
El Poblado and Laureles are the most popular neighbourhoods for visitors, with hotels, hostels and apartments, restaurants and nightlife. Rooms fill and prices rise for the fair, especially for the final weekend, so book early.
What it costs
Most of the fair's events are free, including the concerts on the tablados. Grandstand seats for the parade and tickets for the big concerts are extra. Medellín is good value, with inexpensive food and transport, though accommodation costs more during the fair.
Go like you know
- Book grandstand seats for the silleteros parade as soon as they go on sale, or find a spot along the route very early.
- Try a bandeja paisa, the hearty platter of beans, rice, meat, egg and plantain that is Antioquia's signature dish.
- Ride the Metrocable for views over the city's valley, especially at dusk.
- Spain's Fiesta de los Patios de Córdoba is Europe's great festival of flowers, in May.
- Colombia's other great celebration is the Barranquilla Carnival, on the Caribbean coast, before Lent.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Feria de las Flores?
For about ten days at the turn of July and August, ending with the Desfile de Silleteros on a Sunday. The 2026 fair ran from July 31 to August 9. The 2027 dates are expected to be similar, around July 30 to August 8, but Medellín's city government announces the official programme.
How heavy are the silletas?
A traditional silleta, the round kind carried by most silleteros, measures well under a metre across and can carry tens of kilos of flowers. The largest monumental silletas can be several metres tall. Silleteros carry them for the whole parade route, which is why the crowd cheers them all the way.
Can I see the silletas up close?
Yes. Silleteros often stop to pose for photos along the route, and in some years the prize-winning silletas are put on display after the parade. A visit to a silletero farm in Santa Elena is the best way to see how they are made, and to meet the families behind them.
