Cali Fair
The Cali's Fair (Dec. 25 - 30) is the most important cultural event in Cali, Colombia. It is a celebration of the region's cultural identity, famous for the Salsa marathon, horse riding parades and dance parties.
Called "La Feria de Cali" (The Fair of Cali). "La Feria de Cali" is the main cultural event on the Pacific Coast of Colombia, and in the City of Cali which is 2 hours away from the Pacific Coast, and is home to almost 3 million people. The Fair has been celebrated since 1957, from December 25 to December 30, and it promotes cultural, ethnical, and musical diversity in the region. In a few occasions the Fair included Vallenato and Merengue groups from Colombian and surrounding Caribbean countries, and samba schools from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Also, the Fair is known as the "Feria de la Caña" (sugar cane fair) and "Feria de la salsa" (Salsa music fair). People enjoy many activities like an opening cabalgata (parade of horseback riders), tascas (international food street), salsa concerts, bullfights (which are under a legal dispute), parades, athletic activities/competitions and cultural exhibitions.
From an international stand point Cali is also known as the "Capital de la Salsa" given the city's infatuation with that type of Afro-Caribbean music. In early July there is the Summer Salsa Festival which lasts for one week. It usually includes concerts by the world's great remaining salsa bands as well as dance shows and "melomano" competitions in which salsa connoisseurs try to out do each other by digging deep into the archives of salsa music and related sounds to find and reveal long lost tunes.