Fiestas del Plátano 2022: The Ultimate Guide

TLDR? The Fiestas del Plátano is the annual plantain festival held in a small village in Antioquia.

The Fiestas del Plátano, translated as the Plantain Festival, is a traditional Antioquian fair that you might want to check out.

Every year, the fair takes place in Sabaneta and is an event where you can enjoy some good food, music, and culture. 

For my US folks out there, this might remind you of small-town fairs in rural Southern states. Checking out this festival took me right back to my college days of hanging around the annual Indiana County fair. 

Anyway, enough with the anecdotes. Here’s what you need to know about the Fiestas del Plátano 2022.

The Importance Plantains in Colombia

Before we start talking about the festival, let’s take a second to talk about plantains. 

As you’ve probably noticed, the plantain in Colombia is used in many traditional dishes and cooked in a ton of different ways. 

For instance, you’ve got patacones (which is two-times fried and mashed plantain that comes with sauce and cheese), platano maduro (which is fried sweet plantain), plantain chips, and more.

The plantain, close to coffee and flowers according to Sicex, is one the most exported products of Colombia. And, just to give you an idea, there are more than 20 kinds of plantain in Colombia!

What Is the Plantain Festival?

The plantain festival, as the name suggests, is a feast to celebrate the importance of this kind of agriculture in Sabaneta.

Sabaneta is one of the smallest municipalities in Antioquia (and in all of Colombia), spanning just 5.7 square miles. That makes it pretty hard to get lost!

The Fiestas del Platano was born in Sabaneta 27 years ago, thanks to the many plantain farms in the region. The farms were mainly in the surrounding villages, but there were a few close to the urban area as well. 

For the Mayor of Sabaneta, this festival is a way for family, neighbors, and friends to come together and have the opportunity to learn about the history of the municipality. Plus, it’s just a great way to celebrate Colombian culture.

Where is The Plantain Festival 2022?

The festival will be celebrated all around Sabaneta, but it’ll mostly take place at Parque Historico and Parque Erato.

Keep in mind that Sunday the 3rd of July, for the event Car Festival Sabaneta, some roads will be closed from 7 am on Sunday, until 7 pm on Monday. 

While you won’t be able to drive around the streets, you might get to admire some nice luxury cars competing and exhibiting in Sabaneta that day. 

How to Get There From Medellin

There are many ways to get to this special festival from Medellin. Here are a couple of the different ways and what you need to know.

Metro

The metro is the easiest way to get to Sabaneta. There are three metro stations that will take you close to Sabaneta: 

• Itagui
• Sabaneta
• La Estrella

It’ll take you about 20 minutes by metro if you’re coming from one of Casacol’s Poblado or Laureles rental properties.

Bus

The bus is another option for getting to Sabaneta, but it’s not as cool as the metro. It’s about 15 minutes away from Medellin, but some days could become a longer trip due to the traffic you may find. 

Make sure to give yourself enough time to leave the city and get out to Sabaneta while still accounting for possible traffic. 

Taxi

If you don’t want to take the bus, you can always take a taxi. While this is usually faster than the bus, if traffic is bad, taking a taxi won’t speed things up. 

It’s a short trip in a taxi or rideshare, so you shouldn’t have to pay more than a few bucks for the trip.

Car

If you’re renting a car in Medellin, then you can easily head out to Sabaneta. Just take the Avenida Regional and you’ll be there in a matter of minutes.

The Program of Fiestas del Plátano 2022

This festival starts on the 28th of June and ends on the 4th of July. Every day, you’ll find music, entertainment, souvenir shops, and the Calle de Fama, which is like a walk of fame with famous and important people from Sabaneta. 

Here’s the schedule of events day by day so that you know exactly what’s going on: 

28th of June

Enjoy the 1001 minutes festival, which is an artistic and photographic exhibition. Here you’ll see live painting shows, hear poetry recitals, and get a chance to listen to live storytelling. 

The event runs from 12 pm to 10 pm. It takes place close to the Parque Principal.

29th of June: 

Once again, you can visit the 1001 minutes festival. On the 19th, there’s also a 60’ themed party in Parque Erato starting at 7 pm.

Another activity to try is to take part in the Ciclopaseo, which is a night bike ride from 7 pm to 9 pm. It’s a fun group event and a great way to see Sabaneta.

30th of June

Aside from the 1001 minutes exhibition, you’ll find some literary events. Enjoy the release of three brand new books from authors from Sabaneta starting at 7 pm in Parque Erato.

1st of July

The first of July is the first day of the live music concerts in the municipality. The concerts run from 6 pm to 1 am in the Parque Principal.

2nd of July

The second of July is the Festival of Symphonic Band, which runs from 1 pm to 5 pm in the Parque Principal. 

It’s also the second day of live music concerts taking place from 6 pm to 1 am. On this day, there’s an opening parade of the Plantain Festival along the roads of Sabaneta. 

Finally, you can check out stand-up comedy shows at the Hotel Hacienda la Extremadura starting at 7 pm. The shows feature comedians such as Chicho, Frank, Adrian Parada.

3rd of July

On this day you can be a part of the Sancocho Festival from 10 am to 4 pm on Carrera 45. Grab a bowl of traditional Colombian soup!

It’s also the third day of concerts. This time, concerts run from 4.30 pm to 1 am.

Finally, you can enjoy the stands of orchids, butterflies, and flowers at the Mall Aves Maria. Stroll through them and find a souvenir to take home. 

4th of July 

The fourth of July is the last day of the festival, so there’s a lot going on. For one thing, there’s the Sonido Sobre Ruedas from 10 am to 6 pm at Bodegas Ancon.

There’s also the Segundo Día del Clamor, which runs from 1 pm to 9.30 pm at the Parque Principal. This is an event to remind locals of the peace, conciliation, and union of the communities of Sabaneta.

The festival will host many national artists like: Yo Me Llamo Roberto Carlos, Mike Bahia, Rudy Marquez, Herencia de Timbiquí, Nacho Acero, Andy Montañez, Nelson Valasquez, Rafael Santos, and Alzate. You can check out the program of each artist before heading to the concerts.

Get Ready to Enjoy The Plantain Festival 2022

You now know where, when, how, and why they celebrate this festival in Sabaneta, Antioquia. So it’s time for you to jump on a metro and get to know this small town that hosts this fantastic cultural event!

Try all the delicious food made with plantain and find your favorite one. It’s time to fall in love with one of Colombia’s favorite foods.

If you like this blog, you might like the Casacol Instagram page to keep up with all the new articles. Anything we need to update or correct? Care to contribute? Email us at blog@casacol.co.