“One Thousand Pollera” parade honor all Panama’s ethnic groups

The event is a tribute to Panama's national female attire and to all of the country's ethnic groups.

Panama’s national pride will be displayed in full splendor on Sunday, April 29 during the Parade of the Thousand Polleras.

Organized by the Panama Tourist Board, the event is a tribute to the country's national costume for women, the Pollera, a beautiful, 16th century colonial attire that has been adapted to Panama's culture with indigenous and African elements. One of the most beautiful and expensive dresses in the world, the Pollera features regional variations in each province.

First held in 2003, the parade also honors all of the country's main ethnic groups and their regional costumes. This year, the parade will be held earlier than in previous years, taking advantage of the dry, sunny weather of April.

Concert Dinners:

An evening of gourmet and musical pleasures

Professor Luis F. Morales, piano, and Graciela Núñez, violin.

A "Cena Concierto" --a "Concert Dinner", is scheduled for Wednesday, March 21 and Thursday, March 27 at Il Boccalino Restaurant. Patrons will be delighted by Graciela Nuñez, violin, and professor Luis Fernando Morales, piano.

Nuñez, a U.S. Educated Fulbright scholar, is one of the lead violinists of the Panama Symphony Orchestra. This will be her third performance at the Concert Dinners, which are the brainchild of professor Morales, a Panamanian-born concert pianist educated in Brussels, London, Rome and Madrid. Professor Morales is the head of Panama City's Academia Polifonia, a music academy for children and adults.

As guests enjoy "Du und du", a vals by Johann Strauss II and a sonata by Beethoven, they will relish Crema di Pomodoro, Gnocci all'Cardinale and Lombo all'vino.

Tickets cost $30.00 and are for sale at the Argosy Bookstore (Vía Argentina -223-5344), or by calling Mr. Morales himself, 6702-0417.

Colón’s party in full swing

The city of Colón, Panama’s Atlantic capital, will offer visitors all its Caribbean spice this month during its annual fair, scheduled March 23-April 1 at the grounds adjacent to the Colón 2000 cruise port.

Reflecting the city’s strong Caribbean heritage, the fair organizers have also included performances by some of the country’s top reggae performers.

The fair will be held in the grounds adjacent to the Colón 2000 cruise port.

Folklore dance performances will also be part of the daily list of activities, including that of the Congos, a bizarre African-based dance style that originated in Costa Arriba -the upper coast of the province of Colón.

Colón’s fair will be a grand party for all ages, with activities ranging from dog shows and horse riding events, to cattle and handicraft exhibits. There will also be an amusement park and lots of food and drinks.

A visit to Colón’s fair can be part of a day tour in the province of Colón, which boasts a number of attractions. In Costa Arriba, the beautiful coast to the east of the city, visitors can find Playa La Angosta (a popular beach among Panamanians), the colonial town of Portobelo and its old Spanish fortifications, and the town of La Guayra, the point from which local boatmen offer transport to Isla Grande, a beautiful tiny island a few hundred meters from the mainland, which provides accomodations for all pockets.

Colón is also famous for its Free Zone, only bested by Honk Kong free trade emporium, where a number of stores offer visitors goods from around the world at excellent prices (Items purchased are sent to Tocumen International Airport, to be delivered before departure).

Colón is 80 km north of Panama City. Visitors can either drive (an hour and a half), take a bus (from the Albrook bus station) or travel by train.

Panama City and Colón are linked by an excellent service of large, air-conditioned buses (some of which are double-deckers) departing from the National Bus Station, located in Albrook. The Panama Canal Railway Company also offers a daily passenger train service to Colón (Call 317-6070). We recommend visitors to take a taxi from either of Colón’s terminals to the fair.

For drivers, Colón is between a one-and-a-half to two-hour-drive from the country’s capital, along the Trans-Isthmian Highway.

Flea Market at Casco Viejo

Visitors are invited to the Old Quarter’s Flea Market, a one-day fair during which renowned local businesses will offer books, arts-and-crafts, paintings, jewelry and food, as well as music performances, theater and tours of churches and historical sites. The event will take place at Cathedral Plaza (San Felipe) on Sunday, March 25 from 9:00 a.m. onwards.

Visitors are also welcome to sell books and art pieces as well. There will be games and activities for children.

For more information, call 209-6300/317-1551.

Expocomer 2007: a complete success

The fair is a showcase of goods and services from all parts of the world.

The 25th version of Expocomer, Central America's largest commercial event, was a complete success, as it generated over US$128 million in transactions.

"Our expectations have been surpassed once again, since the fair generated eight million more than last year", said Diego Eleta, president of the Panama Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Thirty-three nations from the Americas, Europe, Asia and Africa took part at the event, held at Panama City's Atlapa Convention Center in early March.

Sherman Triathlon next month

Extreme sport buffs will be out on April 22 to follow the Saucony Triathlon Sprint at Sherman in the province of Colón.

It is the fourth version of this event, and starts from Sheame Beach continuing through the villages of the former fort Sherman U.S. military base on the Atlantic coast. The competition will begin at 8 a.m.

More than a hundred competitors, on both individual and team categories, will strive through 750 mts of swimming, 20 km of cycling and 5 km of running.

The triathlon is organized by the Panama Triathlon Union (UTP), organization that in July will have their second major triathlon of the year, with Olympic competition distances.

Davids International fair ends this weekend

The fair features entertainment, games and exhibits for all tastes and budgets.

One of the most important annual events in western Panama is just around the corner. The David International Fair, held in the capital city of the province of Chiriquí, will take place March 15-25.

Featuring almost 500 industrial, agricultural, tourist and commercial exhibitors from throughout the Americas, the David International Fair is one the largest of the long series of country festivals taking place throughout the Isthmus during the dry season (December-April). Although it was originally conceived as an agricultural event, the fair has grown to attract people of all ages and tastes, as it offers games, varied pop musical performances, folklore shows and tourist activities.

Located 483 km. west of Panama City along the Pan-American Highway, the city of David is a growing metropolis which combines modern amenities and country charms. Situated on a fertile coastal plain, David is the capital of the country’s top cattle and agricultural region –a province rich in beautiful landscapes along its ample coasts on the Pacific and within its valleys surround by majestic mountain peaks.

Although David’s climate is hot, it is less than an hour away from the cool-weather mountain resort communities of Boquete, Volcán and Cerro Punta, which are attracting growing numbers of foreign retirees and second-home buyers.

Linked to the capital by an excellent bus service and daily, scheduled flights (departing from Albrook’s Gran Terminal de Transporte and Marcos A. Gelabert Airport, respectively), David boasts a number of excellent hotels and good entertainment.

American football in Panama

Surprise! American football is played and enjoyed in Panama –a legacy of the special relationship shared between both countries for almost a century.

This weekend, the American Football League of Panama will host a series of games (women and men teams) at the Javier Cruz statium of Colegio Artes y Oficios, on Vía Transistmica, across from Cerveceria Nacional, starting at 9:00 a.m.

The women's teams are: Cyclons (UTP), Devils, Rebels, Sqads and Whites. The men's teams are: Raiders, Sharks, Warriors and Wolfpack.