The Expomoda Summer 2026 fair in Atuntaqui expects to receive more than 40,000 tourists during the August 10 holiday weekend. Domestic and international visitors, business owners, buyers, designers, and entrepreneurs have begun arriving in the Antonio Ante canton to establish business opportunities and promote Ecuadorian products.
Travelers are combining shopping trips with experiential tourism, an activity where visitors stay with local communities to learn about daily customs and traditions. Organizers aim to strengthen commercial ties with southern Colombia, targeting buyers from Ipiales, Pasto, and southwestern Colombian departments.
The historic center and main streets of Atuntaqui will serve as an open-air commercial venue through August 10. Visitors can inspect fashion trends and buy goods at factory prices with special discounts. Antonio Ante is recognized as the textile capital and fashion industrial center of Ecuador due to its high clothing production and commercial activity.
Commercial Partnerships and Economic Growth
The event aims to build international partnerships from local territories by connecting textile companies, boosting shopping tourism, and developing the northern border region. The fair is one of the most prominent events on the national tourism calendar of Ecuador.
Clothing for various uses and genders is available starting at $10. Offerings include casual wear, formal attire, underwear, sportswear, work clothes, lingerie, socks, and sleepwear displayed across 170 street stands and 200 retail stores. Vendors are also selling items ranging from dress shirts to comforters featuring decorative patterns, along with accessories and kitchen items.
The shopping area features an itinerary with local and international food, artisan crafts, ice cream, drinks, and snacks. Street fashion shows take place at scheduled times through Monday, while Plaza Libertad hosts musical performances by town bands and local dance groups.
Jaime Rodriguez, a visitor from Quito traveling through Imbabura until Monday, stopped in Atuntaqui to try traditional fritada and buy clothing for his children returning to school in September. Rodriguez said the product quality and costs were favorable and calculated he would save about 30 percent on his purchases.
Evening Entertainment and Direct Sales
Evening entertainment features public dances and performances by Marabu, La Academia, Constelacion Vallenata, Carlos Michilena, and several disk jockeys. Luis Vilca, manager of event organizer Sermaa EP, said security, parking facilities, and free admission to all shows are fully guaranteed.
Angela Buitron, representing the Textile Chamber that groups more than 121 local companies, noted that buyers benefit from getting products directly from manufacturers without intermediaries. More than 20 designers worked for six months to prepare fashion lines that are already stocked in major Ecuadorian department stores and international markets.
Runway presentations showcase garments made of wool and knitted fabrics alongside lingerie and other apparel. Mayor Cesar Escobar said the fair provides a platform to demonstrate the productive capacity of the canton to domestic and global audiences. Escobar added that Expomoda Summer promotes the textile industry, strengthens integration with Colombia, generates employment, and creates new options for local business owners.
