Medellin knows how to celebrate Christmas! And the celebration lasts six weeks: November 30 to January 7.

2018 is the 51st anniversary of Medellín’s Christmas lights and the theme is “Colombia, magical paradise of light at Christmas,” which focuses on the natural wealth of Colombia, including animals, water, vegetation, and celestial bodies. And of course some displays in Medellin include traditional Christmas-theme items such as Santa, people from the Nativity story, wreaths, Christmas trees, and candy canes. The displays this year include 26 million LED lights, 35,000 hand-woven figures, and 11 tons of metal iced paper. Last year an estimated 90,000 tourists visited the city to see the world-class Medellín Christmas lights.

EPM, the local utility company, sponsors the extensive Christmas light displays throughout the city. Alumbrados Navidenos, as the light celebration is called in Spanish, was traditionally along the Rio Medellin with lights strung across the waterway. This year the lights are concentrated in multiple locations with the primary display at Parque Norte, an amusement park in the city center. 

Here are photos from our visit to Parque Norte. . . 

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