We tell you the history behind this colorful 55-year tradition that made Aibonito the Garden of Puerto Rico. — Nestled in the mountains of central Puerto Rico, Aibonito transforms every year into a multicolored paradise. Thousands of orchids, bromeliads and exotic flowers turn 25 cuerdas of land into the largest floral showcase in the Caribbean.
That is the atmosphere at the Festival de las Flores de Aibonito, which this year celebrates its 56th edition with ten consecutive days of activities, from June 26 to July 5, expecting to welcome more than 200,000 visitors to the 25-cuerda grounds on PR-722.
How did the Festival de las Flores begin?
To understand the origins of the Festival de las Flores, you have to go back to 1957, when the Club de Jardinería de Aibonito was created through the Servicio de Extensión Agrícola (SEA) of the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, explained Cynthia López, president of the event's board of directors, to Platea.
The association, founded and led by agronomist Jorge Luis León, became the third gardening club on the Island, according to López, who is from Aibonito and has been part of the festival's administration for 12 years.
In 1958, the club held its first floral exhibition. After taking part in three Ferias de las Flores in Río Piedras (1964-1966), the enthusiasm drove the community to work on organizing the Festival de las Flores in Aibonito.
"There was a need to formalize a suitable place to hold a large, grand gardening or flower exhibition event," López said about how the festival officially came to life in 1969 with just five flower growers.
A tradition that grows and flourishes
What began as a small exhibition grew into a popular cultural event. In 1974, the Festival corporation invested $100,000 in the purchase and development of 10 cuerdas of land, later expanded to 25 cuerdas, creating the event's permanent home.
"It is something extremely special… And it fills me with pride, both as someone from Aibonito and as a participant and president of this event, that it has been going on for so many years."
Cynthia López, president of the event's board of directors.
López recalls coming to the event with her grandmother and mother as a child, and now she is the one who brings her own children, describing this multigenerational experience as something very special and beautiful.
More than flowers: education and family
The festival has evolved beyond floral exhibitions. López noted that, in the event's early years, there was no integration of food or an extensive musical lineup, as there is today.
"When the festival was able to purchase this 25-cuerda property, that is when the planning and administration began to add other elements that could attract more people," López explained.
The event currently includes:
Educational talks on growing ornamental plants, fruit trees, bonsai and orchids
Workshops for children on aquaponics (a combination of fish farming and hydroponics)
Landscape garden competitions in three categories: modern, traditional and collaborative educational
A wide food and music offering
Family activities over ten consecutive days
"People who want a plant leave with the plant and with guidance on how to care for it and maintain it so it lasts," López said about the festival's educational mission.
Jorge Luis León, recognized as the "father of the Festival de las Flores," dreamed of creating a space where Puerto Rico's natural beauty could be displayed and celebrated. Fifty-five years later, his vision not only endures but flourishes more than ever.
"It fills us with great joy, and the commitment, that responsibility we always have to carry that message of family unity and to educate our visitors so they bring other visitors year after year," López concluded.
This content was translated with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
