This article is about the 2008 Aibonito Flower Festival. If you are looking for info about the 2009 Aibonito Flower Festival, please go read this other article.

It is that time of year again – Flower Time! Time for me to make my annual pilgrimage to the beautiful town of Aibonito and spend too much money on plants!

The Aibonto Flower Festival (Festival de Flores de Aibonito) will be held this year from June 27 through July 6, 2008.

The drive to Aibonito is very pretty – lots of great views along the long and winding road. And there are lots of vendors set up along the roads a long the way.

Inside the fair grounds, there are plant displays and lots of plant vendors. There’s also food, some rides for the kids, clean bathrooms, educational talks (in Spanish) and music. We like to go during the week, when there are fewer people, but if you are into crowds, live music, etc., the weekends are hopping!

Just keep in mind, if you’re in Puerto Rico on vacation from the States, the USDA does conduct mandatory luggage inspection at the airport. So if you plan on buying plants to take back the the States, you might want to review the USDA Preflight Inspection Notice: For Travelers From Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands to the U.S. Mainland (PDF file) regarding what plants you are allowed to take home with you.

Most of the music and "official" activities occur in the Festival Area, behind the Colliseo los Polluelos de Aibonito, but all along the roads leading to the park there will be small vendors set up selling everything from plants to perfume, flowers to food.

More Than Just Plants

In additional to all of the plant vendors and displays, there is a full schedule of live entertainment for all 10 days of the festival. Here is the published show schedule …

Friday, 27 June

• Clinicas de Salud
• Transmision en Vivo con Ruben Sanchez
• Jose luis Monero

Saturday, 28 June

• Joseph Fonseca
• Grupo Guarayson
• Trio Los Rosarios

Sunday, 29 June

• Espectacular Consurso de Trovadoes "Pico a Pico"
• Ismaelito Rivera y Rafaelito Cortijo "La Nueva Generacion"
• Orquesta Son Caribeno

Monday, 30 June

• Grupo Renacer Borincano

Tuesday, 1 July

• Trio Voces del Centro

Wednesday, 2 July

• Jailene Cintron
• Trio los Jilgueros

Thursday, 3 July

• Hector "El Father"
• Ruben y Omy "The New Central Talent"
• Orquesta Son Caribeno

Friday, 4 July

• El Gran Combo
• Juan "El Magnifico"
• Trio los Jilgueros
• Invacion del nuevo Dia

Saturday, 5 July

• Eddie Fuentes "imitador de las Estrellas"
• Javier Ortiz y su Grupo (Concepto Criollo)

Sunday, 6 July – Closing Spectacular

• Show de Objectivo Fama 5
• Victor Manuel
• Elvis Crespo
• Trio Voces del Centro

Entrance fee to the festival is around $5 per person. Parking is free

In 2008, the festival starts on June 27 and ends on July 6

Including driving time from San Juan, plan on spending most of a day.

From San Juan, take Route 52 South to exit 39 (it’s the second exit for the town of Cayey). Turn left onto Route 1, and then right onto Route 15 (you’ll pass a Burger King and a Gulf gas station just before you get to Route 15). Take Route 15 through the center of Cayey where it meets up with Route 14. Turn left onto Route 14 (there’s an Esso gas on one corner and a Texaco on the the other — turn left "between" the 2 gas stations). Follow Route 14 into Aibonito. You’ll eventually pass Plaza Las Flores (a small shopping center) on your left. After that, keep your eyes open for Route 722 on your left. Turn left onto 722. The festival is on 722, about ½ mile on your left at KM 6.7.

The drive from San Juan will take about 2 hours

You can locate the Aibonito Flower Festival on our Interactive Island Map