Panama Calendar of Events
When is the Best Time of Year to Visit Panama?
If you are planning to travel to Panama, you may want to take a look at some of the holidays and annual festivals in Panama to ensure you time your vacation just right. Below is a breakdown of some of the more popular events in Panama we recommend you not miss out on during your vacation in Panama.
January:
Boquete Flower and Coffee Tasting Fair: Start the year off right with delicious coffee and beautiful flower displays in Boquete, Panama! The festival includes live music, food stands, amusement rides and handicraft booths. Fun for the whole family, the first week of January is a wonderful time to visit Boquete, but be sure to book accommodations in advance as hotels fill up quickly!
Jazz Festival: Established in 2003, the Panama City Jazz Festival attracts music lovers from all corners of the planet. Deeply committed to supporting the arts and young musicians around the world, the event has raised over 1 million dollars and allocated 3.5 million in scholarships for students. Read more about the festival which occurs the second week of January here.
Agricultural Fair: This Panama event highlights the livestock, farming, and agricultural products in the sprawling town of Chepo, which is almost close enough to be considered a suburb of Panama City. Held the second weekend in January, this fair highlights the traditional farming practices of Panama.
San Sebastian Fair: For over 50 years the people of San Sebastian de Ocu, Herrera have been celebrating their traditions in this culturally-rich Panama event. There are bull fights, livestock judging, fair rides, street dances, and folkloric dances performed by the locals, or Manitos Ocuenos. This is the only fair in Herradura, and is quite a site to see, taking place for 5 days over the second weekend of January.
La Chorrera Fair: Incredible folkloric dancing and drum dances can be witnessed in La Chorrera, a city in central Panama just southwest of the capital. This international fair takes place late January to early February.
February:
Carnival: By far the biggest Panamanian event of the year, Carnival is an explosion of culture, costumes, and color! Panama Carnival takes place the four days prior to Ash Wednesday and it is celebrated nationwide in large cities and small towns. Take a look at our Panama Carnival blog for more information on this spectacular event.
March:
Holy Week: From Palm Sunday to through Holy Saturday, Holy Week (or “Semana Santa”) is celebrated throughout the country. Religious processions, parades, and parties take place all over Panama. If you are traveling during this time, be sure to book in advance, as most of the country is on vacation during Holy Week and it is peak travel time.
The International Fair of David: David is the capital of the province of Chiriqui, and every 3rd week in March it boasts an international fair which attracts businesses from all over Central and South America. Approximately 300,000 visitors attend the agricultural, folkloric, industrial, commercial, and diplomatic delegations to share ideas and promote businesses.
April:
Orchid Festival: Attention, orchid-lovers! March 26-April 5th is the best time to be in Boquete. Although this Panama event is not as large as the Coffee and Flower Festival in January, it highlights this beautiful flower with thousands of orchid species for the public to delight in annually.
International Fair of Azuero: In La Villa de Los Santos, the locals refer to this Panama event as “the last of the long list of county fairs taking place throughout Panama during the dry season.” Get your fix of parades, agricultural exhibits, beverages, shopping, and wonderful food before the rainy season starts. Come prepared to party, as this Panamanian festival is a 24-hour event for 12 solid days!
May:
May Day: Every May 1st, the arrival of spring is celebrated in the town of Boca del Toro and Bastimentos. Young girls dance the around the beautifully-decorated May Pole in a Caribbean-Afro influenced dance.
June:
Festival of Corpus Christi: In La Villa de Los Santos, the capital city of the Los Santos Province, a yearly festival is held for 2 full weeks. The town comes to life with the religious ceremony, and the highlights include intricate dances led by men in devil masks. The Festival of Corpus Christi occurs 40 days after Easter each year.
July:
Patronal Festival of the Virgin of Carmen: The Virgin of Carmen is celebrated through Panama, but especially in Boca del Toro. Most everyone is town engages in a pilgrimage to La Gruta, which is a cave in the middle of the island, to honor the Virgin of Carmen in a religious mass.
Patronal Festival of the Virgin of Santa Librada: The same town that boasts one of the largest Carnival festivals of the year, Las Tablas, also honors their patron saint, Santa Librada, every July 20-22nd. The highlight of this festival is the coronation of the Queen of the Pollera. Polleras are the traditional Panamanian long skirts that young girls receive at the age of 16. Considered the national costume, the most beautiful of these beautiful women is honored during the Festival of the Pollera to reign as “queen” for the rest of year.
August:
Santa Fe Orchid Exposition: As previously noted, over 1,200 species of orchids call Panama home. Santa Fe, Veraguas holds an annual orchid festival which highlights these wonders of nature early August. Read more about the orchid exposition and the town of Santa Fe here.
September:
International Festival of the Sea: Mid-September finds us back just north of Boca del Toro on Playa el Ismito. Starting the second week of the month, this 5 day Panamanian event includes exhibits by the Smithsonian Institute and ANAM (the park service), folkloric dances, local cuisine, and handicrafts booths. The city is absolutely bursting with culture and color, this is a wonderful time to be in Boca del Toro.
Festival of la Mejorana: Heralded as the most important folkloric event in all of Panama, the Festival of la Mejorana is also referred to as the Guarare Festival and has been taking place every year since 1949. A little under 300 km from Panama City, Guarare is a village that goes all out to celebrate the Virgin of Mercedes, whose image rests in the parish of Guarare. Groups from all over the country come to show off their native dances and musical talents, with plenty of food stands and alcohol to go around. To get a true taste of the entire country, plan on being in Guarare the last week of September.
October:
Black Christ Festival: Over 15,000 pilgrims arrive to the small town of Portobelo, Panama every October 21 to pay their respects to the Black Christ, or “el Cristo Negro.” The festival ends at midnight after a 4-hour procession to deliver the Black Christ statue to its normal display to await another year of reverent worship. You can read more about the history of the Black Christ here.
November:
Independence Days: That’s right, plural. Panama celebrates two Independence Days every year. The first declaration of independence occurred on November 28 and celebrates freedom from Spain. Panama then joined the Republic of Greater Columbia, but struggled for autonomy which ultimately ended in a disagreement over the building of the Panama Canal. With backing from the United States, Panama became its own nation on November 3, 1903. Both days are national holidays and celebrated with fireworks and fiestas.
Bocas del Toro Founding Festival: Attracting people from all over the province, including the Panamanian president, the Bocas del Toro Founding Festival includes street parades, dances, and delicious food vendors. This Panama event is celebrated every year on November 16.
Bastimentos Day: Just a ten-minute boat ride from the town of Bocas del Toro, this beautiful island is celebrated every November 23 with a huge parade and moving drum ceremonies throughout the island.
Tierras Altas Fair: Rounding out the month of November is the Tierras Altas Fair located in Chiriqui, Panama. Known for their year-round cool temperatures, the towns of Volcan and Cerro Punto host this annual fair which allows more than 50 producers of the surrounding areas to show off their goods. Handicrafts, culinary, ecological and livestock exhibitions create a fun atmosphere for the entire family. The Tierras Altas Fair occurs the last week of November.
December:
Mother’s Day: Moms in Panama don’t just get one special day…they get two! Mother’s Day is celebrated the first Sunday of December, and the following Monday is also a national holiday topped off with a huge fireworks display in the evening. Go moms!
Christmas: The Christmas holidays are a very special time in Panama. Starting with “posadas” or Christmas parties the 9 days prior to Christmas Eve, the entire country comes together in a blend of Spanish and American traditions. Read more about Christmas in Panama here.
New Year’s Eve: December 31st is rang in with style in Panama. Panama City Beach has a massive fiesta with people celebrating from all over the world. Think Times Square but with approximately 7,000 beach balls dropping and your toes in the sand! Here’s to another great year!
As you can see, whether you are a Jazz lover, cultural buff, or just want to get your party on during Carnival, Panama has events and holidays year round for all types of travelers. We also advise you pick up one of the local tourist magazines and newspapers for some of the lesser known local festivals near your hotel. Whatever experience you are looking for, consult our Panama Calendar of Events and start planning your Panama vacation today!!