Every year, the town of Aibonito hosts the largest plant show & sale on the island. It features flower & plant displays, a large section for plant sales, live local music shows (of course) and food kiosks. My favorite part is the rows and rows of booths selling all kinds of plants — orchids, fruit trees, vegetable plants, heliconias, gingers, hibiscus … just to name a few. I look forward to this event all year and it is now that time of year again!

This year, the Aibonto Flower Festival (Festival de Flores de Aibonito) will be held from June 25 through July 4, 2010.

Finding the Festival is not too difficult — just follow the cars! It is a hugely popular event. This is one of the town’s claims to fame — they even have a permanent Flower Festival Area, behind the Colliseo los Polluelos de Aibonito. This is where all the "official" sales booths, entertainment and food kiosks are set up. In addition to that, you will be able to find small vendors set up selling everything from plants to perfume, flowers to food all along the roads leading to the park.

If you are a tourist from the States, just keep in mind, 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.

Entertainment for the Whole Family

In addition to plant sales and displays, there will be live entertainment for the entire family. Though they don’t post an entertainment schedule with showtimes, they do give you a pamphlet with the information about the different performers that will be there. Most performances start in the afternoon.

Entertainment Schedule

• Friday, June 25
  Eddie Fuentes
  Jose Luis Monero
• Saturday, June 26
  Banda los Calenos
  Plenealo
  El Gran Combo



• Sunday, June 27
  Trio Voces del Centro
  Consuros de Trovadores
  Zone D’Tambora
• Monday, June 28
  Renacer Borincano
• Tuesday, June 29
  Orquesta Son Caribeno
• Wednesday, June 30
  Banda Los Caneno
  Mickey Cora y La Orqusta Cabala
• Thursday, July 1 – Kid’s Day
  » first 500 kids get a free plant
  Los 4 Latinos
  La Orquesta de Munequitos
• Friday, July 2
  Orquesta Son Caribeno
  Siglo XXI
  Tito "El Bambino"
• Saturday, July 3
  Trio Cielo Mar
  Pucho Rivera y su Gran Banda
  Victor Manuelle
• Sunday, July 4
  Grupo Renacer Borincano
  Show de Cuca Gomez
  En Concierto para el pueblo Olga Tanon

Entrance fee to the festival is $7 per person. Parking is free.

In 2010, the festival starts on June 25 and ends on July 4. The festival is open from 8am to 7pm every day.

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 south. Follow Route 1, past Route 206, until you get to Route 7722. Turn right onto Route 7722. Follow Route 7722 until you get to Route 722. Turn right onto Route 722. The festival is on 722, on your right 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.