photo by Sos1992 (via Creative Commons)
Manizales is the gateway to Los Nevados Natural National Park and the city should be part of any Colombian adventure tour itinerary. Manizales is also host to the longest festival and one of the most popular events in all of Colombia.
photo by sergejf (via Creative Commons)
Modern Day Festivities
During the first weeks of January, the streets in Manizales, Caldas will be covered with dancers, floats and parades to celebrate the new year and kick off the festival season. And aside from being the longest festival in all of Colombia, it’s also the one with the most prestigious beauty pageant where women vie for the opportunity to be crowned the Coffee Queen. Ladies from Brazil, Venezuela, Panama and even Japan attend to compete for the coveted title.
And if beauty pageants aren’t your thing, bullfighting sure will be! The Manizales Fair offers the best bullfighting season outside of Spain and is even considered the origin of the tradition in Colombia and America. Like the beauty queens, fighters from South America, the Iberian Peninsula and of course Colombia gather to take on the bull in front of large crowds. And after the bullfighting, the party continues with a tattoo fair, horse rides, catering and a closing concert with an internationally known singer and performer to end with a big bang.
photo by Sos1992 (via Creative Commons)
A Little History
So how did this fair get started? It all started in the 1950s when entertainment manager Oscar Hoyos Botero visited Spain and experienced the Seville Fair. After getting lost in all the celebrations, he made the decision that he wanted to bring the same energy and excitement to events back home.
After teaming up with some architects and explaining his vision, the Manizales Fair in all of its glory was born. The bullfighting was a part of the fair ever since its beginning in 1955 and the beauty pageant became a secondary draw later.
It wasn’t until 1957 when the first Coffee Queen was crowned during The Reinado Internacional del Café with Analida Alfaro taking home the title. And the first official Fair Queen was Alicia Toro Vallejo.
Since these humble beginnings, the fair has continued to grow and add more events and excitement topping year after year. Face painting, amazing food, dancing, floats and arts and crafts are just some of the other activities offered during the fair.
Fun fact: the fair was cancelled twice; once in 1980 due to earthquakes in the area and again in 1986 due to the Nevado del Ruiz Volcano eruption in the previous year.
Pack Your Bags
The Manizales Fair is the perfect escape for everyone in your travel party especially those who will be visiting Colombia with large groups or family members. This is because there is so much on offer that everyone will find an activity that he or she will truly enjoy. Couples will also have fun exploring local shops as well as the killer insider hotel pricing deals on everything from boutique inns to hotel chains.
Manizales is the gateway to several of Colombia’s best adventure destinations such as Los Nevados National Park and the Coffee Region. So what are you waiting for? Plan your adventure tour with Uncharted Colombia now!