Cali Fair

Every year, after celebrating Christmas, the people of Cali come together for the city's most representative cultural event, the Cali Fair. From December 25 to 30, not only its residents but also thousands of visitors from different parts of Colombia and the world turn their attention or roam the city's streets, enjoying a festival full of color, joy, music, lights, and gastronomy.  

Moreover, it is a popular celebration, considering that out of the 58 official events, 57 have free entry.

The Rhythm is at the Cali Fair

It is impossible to separate this fair from “Salsa,” the popular rhythm for which Cali is the capital. As expected, the opening event is the “Salsódromo”, a parade where more than thirty schools composed of about 1,200 dancers from popular neighborhoods perform choreographies in their colorful costumes.

As a showcase, large floats advance with the drums of the world's best Salsa orchestras resonating. National and international groups gather in a concert-style route, where spectators dance until the end of the night, positioned on both sides of the grand Roosevelt Avenue. 
 

Another parade we recommend visiting is the Classic and Antique Cars parade. It is a journey through the history of the city's streets and the collectors of Cali. Vehicles, manufactured during the early decades of the 20th century, are driven by their owners, who, along with their families and friends, are dressed in period costumes. This creates a great celebration that connects the past, present, and future of the city.

Since 1957, this celebration, which started as the Sugar Cane Fair, was focused for many years on bullfighting. Today, far beyond bullfighting, new experiences have been included such as the Entrepreneurial Artisan Fair, a space for crafts and new manufacturing projects that include the arts and crafts traditions of the Colombian Pacific.  

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During this time, there is also space for the Rural and Community Fair, the Youth Festival, the Grand Prix, the Super Concert, and the Pet Festival, all of which make the fair a celebration that caters to all audiences so that no one is left out of the fun and celebration.
 

The Cali Viejo Carnival is a parade full of traditions where Afro-descendant and indigenous roots make their appearance, reinforcing the ancestral identity of the Valle del Cauca region. On this route along the Sur Oriental Highway - between 53rd and 39th streets - the city's history comes alive, parading and dancing from four in the afternoon.

During the Cali Fair, you can enjoy Cali's gastronomy. Empanadas, luladas, aborrajados, chontaduros, ceviches, and other local delights accompany visitors to Cali in the afternoons. The Tascas are the traditional places where tourists can eat and enjoy a varied menu, accompanied by live shows from noon until dawn. They are located in the Retreta Park, next to Paseo Bolívar.
 

In the city, tourist information points are set up for these dates to help visitors organize their daily routes during the fair:

• Centro Cultural Plazoleta Jairo Varela

• Transport Terminal

• River Boulevard

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The Cali Fair is organized by CORFECALI, an organization that has set up special routes where visitors can explore all the city's tourist attractions during the festivities:

• Historical, Cultural, Heritage, and Religious Route

• Salsa and Flavor Route

• Urban Nature Route River Cali

• Mío Cable Route.

• Environmental and Natural Route.
   

All these attractions make the Cali Fair the main driver of the city's economy, where the main ingredient has always been the kindness and hospitality of the city and its people, who are the best testament and gift of the vibrant culture of the Valle del Cauca.