MEDELLÍN (EFE).— Some 2,700 children between the ages of four and eleven paraded through the streets of Medellín on Saturday dressed as peasants and carrying colorful silletas to keep alive this tradition that graces the opening of the 67th edition of the Flower Fair.
After the inaugural concert on Friday night and the opening of the Plaza de las Flores at two points in the city, the first big dose of this celebration came with the Silleteritos Parade, dedicated to children so that, carrying light flower arrangements on their backs, they can take on “the customs of our ancestors” and feel like “true paisas.”
“This is the third oldest parade of the Flower Fair. It started in the park of the La Floresta neighborhood with a daycare center and has grown to have 2,700 children marching today so that they can learn about Antioquian customs,” said the organizer of this children’s parade in Medellín, Gustavo Ortega.
The silleteritos paraded through the La Floresta neighborhood before the eyes of hundreds of spectators, who applauded their participation in the 35th edition of this event, which, with the leading role of the little ones, pays tribute to this flourishing tradition.
This event, dedicated entirely to children, like the one held a couple of weeks ago in the town of Santa Elena, where the flower bearers live and plant the flowers that parade, also included in its program the presentation of 40 artistic and cultural groups, as well as marching bands.
On this occasion, the parade included the participation of children from different neighborhoods of Medellín and from municipalities such as Carolina del Príncipe, Yarumal, El Retiro and Carmen de Viboral, among others.
The Secretary of Citizen Culture of Medellín, Santiago Silva, said that on the first day of the Flower Fair there was a “great attendance” at events such as the National Trova Festival, the opening concert, the Plaza de Flores and the popular and dance music show by the Medellín Music Network.
“We had more than 50 artists present and 55,000 citizens came. We are very happy because people are taking over the public space and enjoying the fair as an event that takes place in the streets,” Silva said.
The programme for this celebration in honour of flowers, which will run until 11 August with more than 100 activities open to the public, continues with events such as the Bicycle-Rhythm Fair and the Street of Artists.
This year, organizers expect to receive around 50,000 tourists, 54% of whom will be foreigners, in addition to having “an economic impact of around 18 million dollars and a hotel occupancy rate of around 88%,” said the mayor of Medellín, Federico Gutiérrez.
The Silleteros Parade, the most important activity within the fair, will take place on August 11. This year, 530 silleteros will be attended by more than 600,000 spectators.
A party Visitors
José González, Medellín’s tourism secretary, said that “this celebration belongs to everyone.”
To welcome tourists
González also said that they hope to receive visitors from countries such as the United States, Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Panama, so that they can tour the 16 communes and five towns because “there are experiences everywhere.”
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2024-08-15 02:05:34
