Meeting the growers behind Medellin's biggest parade

Every year, when Medellin celebrates the Flower Festival, thousands of people gather to witness one of Colombia’s most important cultural events: the Silleteros Parade. Behind the impressive flower displays carried through the city’s streets lies a story of hard work, tradition, and deep rural roots, led by the farming families of Santa Elena, a village nestled in the eastern mountains surrounding the capital of Antioquia.

The silleteros are flower growers who spend the entire year cultivating blossoms on small family-owned farms, preserving a tradition that has been passed down from generation to generation and has become one of the strongest symbols of Colombia’s cultural identity.

Their work begins long before the Flower Festival. Months ahead of the parade, each family carefully plans its planting schedule, selects the flower varieties to be used, and tends every crop to ensure the blooms reach their peak during the celebration. The result is an extraordinary blend of agriculture and artistry that connects the countryside with one of Latin America’s best-known festivals.

The history of the silleteros dates back to the 19th century, when farmers from Santa Elena used wooden frames known as silletas to carry flowers, fruits, vegetables, and other agricultural products on their backs from the mountains to Medellin, where they were sold in local markets.