During the celebration, various activities will fill the streets and public spaces of San Vicente with life. The inauguration on June 18 will begin with a communal chocolate-tasting event in the main park, setting the stage for five days of cultural, academic, and commercial events. Highlights include the traditional best cup of chocolate competition, a gastronomic festival incorporating other local products, a coffee collection tournament, and an entrepreneurship fair titled “Cocoa in the Park.” These events will be accompanied by artistic performances and concerts, including a special appearance by Colombia’s National Symphonic Band.
Saturday night will feature the “Chucureño Saturday,” during which the municipality’s music schools will take over the main park with performances that showcase authentic local folklore. On Sunday, the festival will conclude with a farmers’ market and an awards ceremony honoring Fedecacao-affiliated producers, with incentives that recognize the effort and quality of the cocoa bean. Throughout the festival, there will also be educational workshops, expert-led talks, and a guided walk along the Cocoa Route, where visitors can explore cultivation areas and experience the cocoa production process in a rural setting.
This festival is also an invitation for tourists to experience the most authentic side of San Vicente. Beyond the fair, the municipality offers landscapes, traditions, and agro-industrial products set against a modest yet meaningful historical and architectural heritage, as highlighted by visitors in agrotourism experiences nearby. Located 87 kilometers from Bucaramanga, the town is striving to become a model for rural, sustainable, and cultural tourism in the region.
The economic impact of this cocoa celebration is significant. It boosts local commerce—hotels, restaurants, transportation, handicrafts—and reinforces value chains around cocoa. Over the five-day event, San Vicente will see increased hotel occupancy, demand for traditional cuisine, and sales of cocoa-based products. The festival also strengthens the region’s territorial brand and paves the way for future investments and community projects.
The municipal administration has clearly committed to transforming the Cocoa Festival into a rural development platform by adding value to agricultural production and acknowledging the work of farmers. This vision aims to establish the municipality as a comprehensive tourist destination capable of attracting national and international visitors who seek genuine and sustainable experiences.
This event marks a milestone in the regional positioning strategy of San Vicente de Chucurí, combining tradition preservation, economic promotion, and responsible tourism. The coordination between public institutions and the community reflects a push toward a development model with real impacts in rural areas—one that can inspire other municipalities to value their identity and cultural heritage.
With an open invitation, San Vicente is preparing to welcome tourists, producers, entrepreneurs, and institutions committed to boosting the sector. The June 18–22 festival offers an ideal setting to strengthen networks, explore agribusiness opportunities, and enjoy the region’s cultural and natural wealth. The 2025 edition of the Cocoa Festival reaffirms that cocoa is more than just a crop—it is a symbol of livelihood, identity, and future, and San Vicente de Chucurí remains its heartland.
The Cocoa Festival in San Vicente de Chucurí is much more than a celebration: it is an event that integrates culture, economy, and tourism in a heartfelt embrace with the rural community. For five days, this Santander municipality will become the cocoa capital, reaffirming its national leadership in production and its ability to innovate from its roots—harvesting recognition, impact, and development for its people and its visitors.
