QUICK TAKES

Boquete: The Annual Flower And Coffee Fair

By Will Irvine

Its summer in Panama again and not only time to hit the beach but to start the fair circuit in the interior. Every little town has a at least one fair a year where generally farmers and artisans gather to offer their wares. There are also dances and pubs on the fairgrounds. It is a very old tradition in towns in the interior providing the townspeople with both a commercial venue as well as entertainment.

The fair runs from the 7th to the 17th of January

Today the tradition is still very much alive with the difference that these fairs have become almost a mandatory stop for Panama City dwellers who visit them in an attempt to get away from the city's busy and hectic pace.

The fair circuit always kicks off with the Flower and Coffee Fair in Boquete which is one of the most popular fairs in the country. It takes place in the town of Boquete in Chiriqui. Boquete is known for its wonderful, temperate climate and fertile land.

The Boquete Flower and Coffee Fair was started in the 1950's as a way to promote the region at a national and international scale. According to statistics last year the fair had 100,500 visitors based on the number of entrance tickets sold. It was a significant increase from previous years where the norm was at around 90,000 visitors. It is still a very large number of visitors for such a small town.

The fair is known for the beautiful gardens planted in the fairgrounds. Many species of plants, trees and shrubs are included in the landscaping and are available for sale. The fair is planned and managed by a non-profit organization whose only mission is the administration of the fair and the permanent maintenance of the fairgrounds.

For this year the fair holds great expectations in terms of economic results as last year was tough because the Rio Caldera flooded and covered part of the fairgrounds so lots of repairs had to be carried out.

This fair runs for two weeks and includes shows by various artists, craft sales, coffee and plant expos, as well as folklore shows. It really is a change of pace, scenery and climate. If you were planning to visit Boquete be advised that it will be close to impossible to get reservations for these dates as the fair runs from the 7th to the 17th of January.

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