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Known as the rice capital of Colombia, the town of Aguazul celebrates the National Rice Festival and Beauty Pageant every January to honor this product, a pillar of its economy along with oil.
During the vibrant festival, attendees can enjoy typical traditions from the Colombian Eastern Plains, with the event opening with a horseback parade and featuring bullfighting spectacles, rodeo-style bull riding, and traditional bull herding, as well as floats and parade troupes, all to the rhythm of the traditional joropo music.
Rice takes center stage at the festival, available in various typical regional preparations, such as the popular pineapple rice masato, and also hosts a contest for the best traditional dish.
One of the main events of the festival is the beauty pageant, in which the National Rice Queen is crowned from a group of contestants representing various departments.
The National Rice Festival and Beauty Pageant not only strengthens local and regional identity but also boosts tourism and the economy, establishing Aguazul as a key location in rice production and in the promotion of llanera culture.
