Mexico City has transformed its iconic avenues into a vibrant display of holiday spirit by adorning the streets with 147,000 poinsettia plants as part of the 2024 Poinsettia Flower Festival. The festival is being held on Paseo de la Reforma, showcasing local production across 12 primary roadways over a stretch of 38.66 kilometers.
The Festival
Poinsettia Flower Festival takes place from December 2 to December 15, and operates daily from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM. It supports producers from the conservation areas of the boroughs of Xochimilco, Tláhuac, Milpa Alta, and Magdalena Contreras. The Ministry of Tourism of Mexico City has invited residents and visitors alike to experience this authentic and unique attraction within the city’s extensive tourist offerings, as noted by Milenio.
Around 140 exhibitors from these four boroughs are stationed on Paseo de la Reforma, specifically from the Estela de Luz to the Glorieta de la Diana Cazadora, offering traditional Christmas flowers and other seasonal products, according to Milenio. The festival not only promotes the beauty of the poinsettia flower during the Christmas season, but also supports local producers whose assets suffered severe damage due to atypical rains on October 6.
Florists have set up on both sidewalks of Paseo de la Reforma, where poinsettias have been planted from Periférico to Eje 2 Norte. The festival features an exhibition of florists accompanied by traditional agroecological products, promoting the natural and cultural wealth of the indigenous peoples of the southern part of Mexico City.
To assist residents and tourists in locating sales points for the festival, the government of Mexico City (CDMX) and CORENADR have presented an interactive map where individuals can find the nearest poinsettia sales point to their home, with sales points active until December 1. The map includes locations of docks, markets, and pavilions where the flowers can be purchased, including 30 sales points in Mexico City and a list of producers in Xochimilco who can offer any of the 20 existing types of poinsettia flowers. Further information can be found on the website provided by Heraldo de México.
Symbol of Christmas
The Mexico City government emphasized the importance of the poinsettia, or “Nochebuena” in Spanish, stating: “The Nochebuena flower—also known as poinsettias, Christmas flower, catalinas, star of Christmas, and by its name in Nahuatl: cuetlaxóchitl—is the most important ornamental plant in Mexico, where it is native and found wild in several states of the Republic,” as quoted by Milenio. They added, “It is said that it was from Taxco, Guerrero, from where the first samples of this species were taken.”
Currently, more than 100 varieties of the Christmas plant are recognized, illustrating the rich biodiversity associated with the poinsettia, as reported by Milenio. The government of Mexico City (CDMX) said that nearly 1.8 million flowers will be part of the festival, representing an important opportunity to strengthen the economy of rural producers.
In addition to the Poinsettia Flower Festival, Mexico City is also hosting the Move on Bike Night Ride on December 28 from 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM along Paseo de la Reforma. Participants are encouraged to join the event by bike, skates, skateboard, or on foot, promoting sustainable and active transportation options during the festive season.
The route will cover 19 kilometers, stretching from Fuente de Petróleo to Plaza Tlaxcoaque, and will pass through main avenues such as Paseo de la Reforma and Juárez. Iconic sites along the route include the Diana the Huntress, the Independence Column Roundabout, and the Ahuehuete Roundabout, providing participants with a scenic tour of the city’s landmarks illuminated for the holidays.
