Fiestas del Platano 2019: A Week of Festivities in Sabaneta

From June 25 to July 1 is Fiestas del Platano 2019 in Sabaneta, which is a popular week of concerts, music, dance, gastronomy, activities and much more. During this week, people come to Sabaneta from all over the Aburrá Valley.

This is a celebration that takes place the last days of the month of June for the past 25 years. And it’s part of the history and tradition of Sabaneta.

This celebration was born because of the importance the plátano had for many years in the Sabaneta municipality. Sabaneta had a large number of plátano fincas. And in case you don’t know, plátanos are fruits that are starchy plantains that are cooked and eaten more like a vegetable.

Fiestas del Platano is an activity in Sabaneta that takes place every year to keep the tradition alive. Also, this is one of the most important festivals celebrated in Sabaneta.

Sabaneta is a municipality in the Aburrá Valley located directly south of Envigado and is becoming more popular with foreigners. In addition, Sabaneta reportedly now has a population of over 100,000, which is up from about 43,000 in 2012.

Fiestas del Platano 2019, image courtesy of the Sabaneta municipality

The Calendar of Events for Fiestas del Platano 2019 in Sabaneta

Tuesday, June 25

• Made in Sabaneta Fair – Parque Sabaneta – 10 am to 6 pm
• Painters to the street – Parque Sabaneta – 10 am to 6 pm
• Exhibition of crafts – Square at the Sabaneta Public Library – 10 am to 6 pm
• Carousel of culture and creativity – Pan de Azúcar trail – 2 pm to 5 pm
• Sports Tournaments – sports facilities in Sabaneta – 6 pm to 10 pm

Wednesday, June 26

• Walk to the Romera – 8 am to Noon (older adults)
• Green Markets – Parque Sabaneta – 10 am to 6 pm
• Sports Tournaments – sports facilities in Sabaneta – 10 am to 6 pm
• Carousel of culture and creativity – Vereda Canaveralejo – 2 pm to 5 pm
• Cultural take 1001 minutes – Parque Sabaneta and Parque Cuatro Elementos – 2 pm to 9 pm
• Health seminar – Parques de Color – 4 pm to 8 pm
• Artistic exhibition – Casa de la Cultura La Barquerena – 5 pm to 7 pm
• Ciclopaseo Fiestas del Platano (night bicyle ride) – leaving from Parque Sabaneta – 7 pm to 9 pm
• National Tiple festival – Casa de la Cultura La Barquerena – 7 pm to 10 pm

Thursday, June 27

• Feria Sabaneta Encanta – Parque Sabaneta – 10 am to 5 pm
• Carousel of culture and creativity – Centro Ambiental, Cultural y Deportivo Maria Auxiliadora – 2 pm to 5 pm
• Sports Tournaments – sports facilities in Sabaneta – 6 pm to 10 pm
• Inauguration Parade of Fiestas del Platano – Leaving Casa de la Cultura La Barquerena – 6:30 to 9:00 pm
• Local Artists Concert – Parque Sabaneta – 9 pm to 11:30 pm

The Neon festival at Parque Cuatro Elementos on June 28, 2019

Friday, June 28

• El Sabor del Platano (contest and sample gastronomy) – Parque Cuatro Elementos – 10 am to 5 pm
• Employment fair – Square at the Sabaneta Public Library – 10 am to 6 pm
• Carousel of culture and creativity – Vereda La Doctora – 2 pm to 5 pm
• Street games – Parque Sabaneta – 2 pm to 6 pm
• Cultural shows projection – Parque Cuatro Elementos – 4 pm to 6 pm
• First festival of Department of Choirs – Main stage near Parque Sabaneta – 6 pm to 8 pm
• Sports Tournaments – sports facilities in Sabaneta – 6 pm to 10 pm
• Neon festival – Parque Cuatro Elementos – 7 pm to 10 pm
• Concert with local artists, Rock Classics (DJs) and Vicky Tru – Main stage near Aves Maria mall a few blocks from Parque Sabaneta – 8 pm to 1 am

Concert on the Main stage near Aves Maria mall on June 28, 2019

Music festival at Parque Cuatro Elementos on June 29, 2019

Saturday, June 29

• Family Picnic – Parque Cuatro Elementos – 2 pm to 6 pm (must call to register – 288 8890)
• Urban Dance Battle – Main stage near Aves Maria mall a few blocks from Parque Sabaneta – 2 pm to 6 pm
• Sports Tournaments – sports facilities in Sabaneta – 6 pm to 10 pm
• Music festival – Parque Cuatro Elementos – 6 pm to 9 pm
• Concert with local artists, Grupo Caneao, brothers Corrales – Las Alondras, Willie González – Main stage near Aves Maria mall a few blocks from Parque Sabaneta – 7 pm to 1 am

Concert on the Main stage near Aves Maria mall on June 29, 2019

Retro Karaoke at Parque Cuatro Elementos on June 30, 2019

Sunday, June 30, 2019

• Departmental festival of symphonic bands – near Aves Maria mall a few blocks from Parque Sabaneta – 2 pm to 6 pm
• Festival of dance – Parque Cuatro Elementos – 4 pm to 6 pm
• Retro Karaoke – Parque Cuatro Elementos – 6 pm to 8:30 pm
• Sports awards – Main stage near Parque Sabaneta – 6:30 pm
• Concert with local artists, Felipe Peláez and Rikarena – Main stage near Aves Maria mall a few blocks from Parque Sabaneta – 7 pm to 2 am

Concert on the Main stage near Aves Maria mall on June 30, 2019

The last day of Fiestas del Platano, Monday, July 1, involves only a few activities on Carrera 45 in Sabaneta from 9 am to 6 pm.

Parque Sabaneta: Arguably the nicest Park in the Medellín metro area

The Two Main Venues

The two main venues during Fiestas del Platano are Parque Sabaneta and Parque Cuatro Elementos, which are two parks in Sabaneta that are only three blocks from each other. Parque Sabaneta is arguably the nicest city park/plaza in the Medellín metro area.

The daily life in Sabaneta is typically centered around Parque Sabaneta, which is a one square block plaza that is filled with trees for shade. In addition, this park is surrounded by several small restaurants, bars and shops.

This city park in Sabaneta definitely comes alive on the weekends and during particular times of the year like Fiestas del Platano with many people and families from around the Medellín metro area visiting the park.

Street food stands near Parque Sabaneta

Around Parque Sabaneta during Fiestas del Platano you will be able to find many stands selling Colombian street food. You can find arepas, buñuelos, tropical fruits, juices, obleas, empanadas, churros, platanos, meats and many others.

Parque Cuatro Elementos in Sabaneta, photo courtesy of Area Metropolitana

Parque Cuatro Elementos (Four Elements Park) is a new park in Sabaneta that opened about only a week ago located three blocks north of Parque Sabaneta. This new park has a playroom, an environmental classroom and green spaces where passive recreation activities such as picnics, small concerts and outdoor screenings can be seen.

One of the most innovative elements of this new park is its use of solar panels, which generate approximately 20 kilowatts KVA of power and supply the energy needs for the operation of the park.

Parque Cuatro Elementos in Sabaneta, one of the main venues for Fiestas del Platano

The idea of the park is to demonstrate the four elements of nature: land, air, water and fire. Inside the park there are four large trees representing the element of air. Its branches and leaves, equipped with solar panels, refer to fire, while green areas and water mirrors distributed in the area represent, respectively, land and water.

Parque Cuatro Elementos has an area of 49,000 square feet (4,550 square meters) and was built with an investment of 6,357 millon pesos from Area Metropolitana del Valle de Aburrá and 450 million pesos from Sabaneta, which also contributed the lot for the park.

Metro buses at the Sabaneta metro station

How to Get to Fiestas del Platano 2019

Many of the main Fiestas del Platano activities are at Parque Sabaneta. An easy way to get to Parque Sabaneta is to take the Medellín metro Line A south to the Sabaneta metro station. And the Sabaneta station is only about 10 minutes from the Poblado metro station.

Parque Sabaneta is located about a 10-minute walk east from the Sabaneta station. In addition, there are many people walking on the streets to/from the metro station. So, it’s relatively safe during the day and even after dark – but not too late.

Also, there are frequent and inexpensive metro buses that use Civica cards that cost only 2,200 pesos, which run from the Sabaneta metro station to and from the park.

Most noteworthy, these buses don’t drop you at the park, they drop you about a block from the park. And the integrated fare including both the metro train and Sabaneta metro bus is only 2,925 pesos.

In addition, there is a taxi stand at the Sabaneta metro station, which normally has taxis available. Furthermore, any taxi driver in Medellín will know where Parque Sabaneta is located. It’s also normally pretty easy to catch a taxi at the park.

Also, all taxi drivers in Medellín will know where Parque Sabaneta is located.

Food from some of the best restaurants in Sabaneta

The Bottom Line: Fiestas del Platano 2019 in Sabaneta

During the week of Fiestas del Platano, families and people come to Sabaneta from all over the Aburrá Valley. And there are free concerts, music, dance, gastronomy and many other activities.

The bottom line is that Fiestas del Platano is a very popular time to visit Sabaneta. Also, if you haven’t been to Sabaneta yet, this would be a good time to visit. And while in Sabaneta for Fiestas del Platano you can try out some of the best restaurants in Sabaneta.

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Editors note: updated on June 30, 2019 with several photos from the 2019 Fiesta del Platano.