Pampilla Festival

The tradition & historical record

The Pampilla Festival (Spanish: Fiesta de la Pampilla; also known as Pampilla de Coquimbo or simply La Pampilla) is a Chilean celebration that takes place between 18 and 20 September every year in honor of the country's Fiestas Patrias – although it usually extends two days before or two days after those dates – in the esplanade of the same name, located in the city of Coquimbo. During this period, even weeks before activities begin, hundreds of families settle in tents and vehicles in the hills. ¹

According to tradition, due to the distance between Coquimbo and Santiago, news of the establishment of the First Government Junta on 18 September 1810 arrived two days later. For this reason, 20 September is currently a holiday in the Coquimbo Region and the official closing date of La Pampilla. All these celebrations began to take place annually on 29 July 1823. There are records that indicate that, at the end of the 19th century, horse races were held in this place on 19 and 20 September. According to photographic archives, attendance during the Fiestas Patrias grew in the first decades of the 20th century. When Coquimbo Department was created in 1864, La Pampilla – then known as La Serranía – was owned by Francisco Íñiguez Pérez. Upon his death, the land was auctioned and acquired in 1870 by José del Carmen Vicuña Lavigne, who used the property for public entertainment. In 1968 the land was acquired by the city's Lions Club after Meli Elizondo Diaz (local Lions’ Club President) organized the first music festival as a fundraising mechanism. Later and as planned, the property was transferred to the Municipality of Coquimbo in 1978. The mayor at the time, Jorge Morales Adriasola, signed this before the notary Alejandro Roncangliolo. The festival at La Pampilla corresponds to the most multitudinous celebration of the Fiestas Patrias. From the beginning of the celebrations until 20 September, more than 100,000 people are present, some in tents, to enjoy the fondas and shows that take place there. Its popularity is such that it recently has begun to be celebrated in other locations in northern Chile. ¹

During September's celebration, fondas and ramadas are set up - places where traditional Chilean food and drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) are sold. Several traditional games are held near the sector of the ramadas. The sector designated for the sale of national and international products of all types - clothes, electrical appliances, candies, trinkets, and different articles for the home - occupies a great part of La Pampilla. In this sector, people who want to set up a stall must pay the Municipality for a permit. ¹

Every year there are performances by many national and international artists, such as folk and pop singers, as well as humorous shows. These are presented on the monumental stage, located in a moat in the western sector of La Pampilla, although previously there was a stage in the shape of a pirate galleon, popularly known as "El Galeón". Also, every year different activities take place, such as musical contests and traditional sporting events. These, in conjunction with the artistic presentations on stage, make up the festival's variety program. ¹

In the Coquimbo Municipal Stadium in 1963 the First Chilean Songwriting Contest and the First Contest of Folkloric Ensembles were held, events broadcast by Radio Riquelme of Coquimbo and Radio Balmaceda of Santiago. Organization was a joint effort by the Municipality of Coquimbo, the National Association of Firefighters, Radio Riquelme, and led by the local Lions Club. The general coordinator was Meli Elizondo Diaz, the Lions Club President. The master of ceremonies for these competitions was the announcer Renato Deformes, together with César Araya Torres and Alberto Martínez. In 1964 the previous year's musical contests were re-performed. On this occasion, the station that broadcast the event for the rest of Chile was Radio Minería. The official announcer was Ricardo García, who was also the host of the Viña del Mar International Song Festival. ¹

In 1973 the festival was not held because the country was under a state of siege after the 11 September coup d'état that had overthrown President Salvador Allende. ¹

The text above is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Pampilla Festival”, available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 licence. ¹

Pampilla Festival is recorded in open cultural data. The structured record cited below does not describe the practice, and this entry has not yet been reviewed by a person familiar with the tradition. ²

The source record links this tradition to 1 external register, which can be verified through the citation. ²