Interior

Thousands expected to visit Boquete for yearly flower show

The show highlights the area’s finest agricultural and horticultural accomplishments.

Started in the 1950s, it has grown to become one of the premier events in the country.

F. BOCHAREL/LA PRENSA

In full bloom: Thousands of visitors are expected to attend the annual flower and coffee show in Boquete, which kicks off tonight.967636

The town of Boquete, in the province of Chiriquí, will host its XXXVI Feria Internacional de las Flores y del Café starting tonight at 7 p.m. today with a display of fireworks and flower decorations, along with games for children, folk dancers, shows and other attractions.

Fair officials expect more than 100,000 visitors this year. President Edilberto Beitía said that free shuttle service will be offered from downtown Boquete to the Panamonte Bridge, which is the only way to access the festival site this year. A new bridge that the Ministerio de Obras Públicas (MOP) is building over the Río Caldera has not yet been finished. Once completed, that bridge will offer better access to the site from downtown.

Organizers commissioned a reproduction of a medieval castle that children will be able to explore, Beitía said.

Roots

Agronomist Carlos Enrique Landao was one of the founders of the fair, which took root in the 1950s.

"We wanted to publicize what we do here in Boquete, with its coffee production and its beautiful gardens that bloom with great ease and grace throughout the entire province," Landao said.

He recalls with pride the year 1951, when the fair celebrated the 50th anniversary of the founding of Boquete.

Landao stressed, however, that organizing the International Exhibition of Flowers and Coffee has not been always easy. In 1969 and 1970 the fair was cancelled for economic reasons, but it has been celebrated every year since then.

"I'm proud to be one of the pioneers of the fair in Boquete, a place where the natural beauty of this region is displayed at its best," Landao said.

Boquete nestles on the slopes of the volcano Barú, on the border with Costa Rica, an area that Landao said residents need to preserve.

Prime location

Because of its altitude, about 1,000 meters above sea level, its climate is cooler than the lowlands of Panama, and has become a pleasant escape from the heat. The elevation makes the area a perfect place to grow coffee and flowers because of its abundant rainfall and cool temperatures.

The festival annually generates almost $2 million in revenue and has become one of the best known events in Panama as both residents and foreigners flock to see the displays.