An imposing Catrina named La Cocinera (The Cook) will be the protagonist of the Mexico in the heart of Bogotá Festival, a celebration that honors the traditions, flavors, and colors of the Aztec country. The event will take place from October 31 to November 1, 2025—a true symbol of tradition and flavor.
La Cocinera is a unique Catrina: her bones are adorned with green branches, corn cobs, red chilies, tomatoes, and cacao pods. On her head, she wears a red flower, and with her hands, she prepares a sauce in a traditional stone molcajete—a sacred act that unites fire and corn, ancestral elements of Mexican culture that also share roots with the Indigenous peoples of Colombia. Locals and visitors alike will be able to admire this colossal and colorful Mexican artwork until November 9 at Journalists’ Park.
Just as corn has long been the basis for tortillas, tamales, and other traditional dishes in Mexico, in Colombia this grain has given life to arepas, tamales, and chicha.
A cultural bridge between México and Bogotá
The arrival of La Cocinera in Bogotá seeks to strengthen cultural and touristic ties between the two nations. Mexico and Colombia share a history of cooperation that dates back to 1923, when they signed the Treaty of Union, League, and Perpetual Confederation. Since then, our cultures have coexisted in harmony between the ancestral and the modern, the rural and the urban, the tradition and innovation.
“The Catrina Cook is much more than a culinary figure: she is the guardian of the country’s gastronomic heritage,” said the Department of Tourism, Art and Indigenous Peoples of Atlixco, where master artisans Daniel Lónez, Víctor Hugo Poblano, and Karla Aburto created this work.
The Catrinas, universal symbols of the Day of the Dead—declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO—represent the union of life, memory, and celebration. Her presence at the festival reinforces its spirit: to strengthen the ties between Bogotá and Mexico through gastronomy and art.
Gastronomy: a common language
Because the connection between Mexico and Bogotá is also expressed at the table. Places like La Calle Mexicana (Calle 74 and Carrera 28), Plaza MX, La Chula, and La Santa Guadalupe are just a few examples of the growing number of restaurants where Bogotá residents enjoy tacos, pozole, mole, and other delights, accompanied by traditional mariachis.
In every gastronomic area of the city, you can find taquerias and local ventures that have brought flavors and warmth of Mexican culture, consolidating a culinary bridge between the cities.
A festival that celebrates life and memory
For the first time, the residents of Bogotá will admire a giant Catrina in the Journalists’ Park, in the historic heart of the city, as part of an unprecedented Mexican festival.
The Mexico in the heart of Bogotá (México en el corazón de Bogotá), part of the district strategy Sabor Bogotá, is the result of the alliance between the Embassy of Mexico in Colombia, the cities Colima and Atlixco, and the Mayor’s Office of Bogotá. Its main purpose is to strengthen the gastronomic culture and promote the cultural cooperation between the two nations.
More than 40 taquerias and culinary ventures will be part of this sensory experience that invites everyone to discover how food becomes a universal language that unites people.
On Friday, October 31, from 11:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m, and on Saturday, November 1, until 9:00 p.m., the public will be able to enjoy live music, cooking demonstrations, a craft fair, and an exhibition of Mexican art in an atmosphere full of color, flavor, and tradition.
For the complete Schedule, you can visit the official Bogotá Tourism Website: www.visitbogota.co
Event Venues
