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Between the end of September and the beginning of October, the Patron Saint Festivities in honor of San Francisco de Asís, popularly known as "San Pacho Festivals", are celebrated in Quibdó, capital of Chocó.
The origin of this celebration dates back to the founding of the city by Franciscan monks in 1648 when they founded a small chapel in honor of Saint Francis and celebrated the Eucharist.
Currently, the San Pacho Festivals are, in addition to a religious festival, a celebration of Afro-Chocoan culture and were named Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2012.
They are recognized for their parades full of music, dance and colorful costumes. The neighborhoods of Quibdó are organized to participate in comparsas and floats, each one showing their creativity and cultural pride.
Traditional dances and characteristic rhythms of the region such as contradanzas, Chocoan bundes, Chocoan mazurkas, Chocoan porros, Chocoan polkas, are a central part of these festivities.
On October 3, the day before the feast of San Francisco, the image of the patron saint is carried in a raft procession along the Atrato River and there is a fireworks show that prepares the festive atmosphere for the next day, in which
The solemn Eucharist is celebrated and the image is carried in a procession through the streets of Quibdó. These festivals are not only an expression of faith, but also a space to celebrate the culture, identity and unity of the Chocó community, attracting visitors from all over the country.
