GENERAL INFORMATION
47
between divisions. Baseball is played along the Caribbean coast and there are
Colombians in the major leagues in the U.S. — Barranquilla's Edgar Renteria has
played in three World Series, and was elected Most Valuable Player for the
victorious San Francisco Giants in 2010. Cycling is also popular, especially in
Bogotá, Boyacá, and Antioquia — it isn't surprising that Colombian cyclists
consistently win the mountain stages in international competitions.
FESTIVALS
Festivals are a very important part of Colombia's culture and society. Christmas
and Easter are extremely important holidays in Colombia (All cities celebrate
their own festivals at different times throughout the year). Travelers should
consider attending these as part of their Colombian experience. There are
festivals listed for many of the destinations in this book.
THE SMITHSONIAN FOLKLIFE FESTIVAL
The Smithsonian Folklife Festival is an annual exhibition of living cultural
heritage that takes place in the United States. In 2011, the festival took place in
Washington D.C on the National Mall. Colombia was featured as the main
country of exhibition on the festivals program. Artists, musicians and many
other presenters of Colombia's culture represented their country. This festival is
free and is visited by over a million people annually. On the Smithsonian
website there is a lot of information on Colombia and the process of Colombia's
participation in the festival. (www.festival.si.edu/2011/Colombia/index.aspx).