The Beauty of Chiriqui on Full Display in Boquete

The beauty of Chiriqui was on full display January 10th through the 19th in Boquete, as many thousands of Panamanians and tourists from all over the world flocked to the Fair of Boquete to witness the annual celebration of Panamanian culture better known as the Boquete Flower and Coffee Fair. The gorgeous climate of Boquete, the tens of thousands of flowers in full bloom, the lively traditional dances, and the fair attractions offered for the children combined with the many options of savory food, aromatic coffee and beautiful dry goods made by local artisans make this annual event a must-see destination in any person’s calendar every year. This year was no different as Boquete supported the weight of the thousands of visitors making their annual trek up the mountain to be apart of the action and experience the natural beauty of Panama.

The flowers exhibited throughout the fair were displayed as many different arrangements highlighting their many different colors. Some of the arrangements themselves were beautiful works of art. The pride of Panama was also on display as one of the arrangements was displayed as the national flag.

Blazing colors of Boquete

Boquete’s many flowers

Flower arrangement in Boquete

Field of orange in Boquete

Panamanian flag arrangement

[caption id="attachment_2274" align="alignright" width="300"] Boquete in bloom

Red rose in Boquete

As beautiful as the flowers are, there were many different things to see and to do. There were many different rides for all ages of children to keep them busy. There was a dance area complete with techno flare for the young adult crowd. The many different artisans on hand were displaying their crafts for sale. Many different food stands were set up keeping the crowd well-fed.

Candy apples in Boquete

A foodie paradise in Boquete

Grillin’ in Boquete

Kid fun at the Boquete fair

Boquete fair rides

Aside from the flowers, the coffee, the rides, the dancing, and the food, there was much more to see. A main stage was set up in the middle of the fair to exhibit different entertainment. The Saturday afternoon entertainment featured a Boquete traditional dance group that entertained the crowd for the better part of 90 minutes featuring different dance partners of all ages and a four piece band consisting of percussion and an accordion. The dancers were well-rehearsed and seemed to enjoy the afternoon in the Boquete sunshine at least as much as the crowd they successfully entertained.

Traditional dancer in Boquete

Dancing in Boquete

Boquete dance

Traditional dance in white

Boys traditional dancing

Girls twirling their dresses in Boquete

The people of Boquete made the fair an enjoyable and memorable day to be had by all. As the event has proven to become more and more of a destination every year for the people of Panama, it will be interesting to see how the event promoters try to top this excellent 2014 version highlighting the people of Chiriqui.