7 Underrated Festivals and Celebrations From Argentina to Know

Every year in the south of Buenos Aires province near Bahia Blanca, a party takes place with the sole aim of creating a giant omelette. Strange? Yes. Delicious? Absolutely! The Giant Omelette Festival takes place in December in the town of Pigüé, the eggy delight measuring over four meters in diameter and using an incredible 15,000 eggs in its production. The festival honors the town’s French roots and is a great weekend out for all the family. Realistically the omelette is more like scrambled eggs, as it is not flipped over.

Taking place in May every year, thousands of school children from all over the world descend on the small town of Puerto Iguazu in Misiones, north-eastern Argentina, for a selection of music concerts and performance over the course of five days. More than 4,000 youngsters take part in the event, held in different venues in the area, including the Sheraton Hotel inside the national park and the Ramón Ayala Amphitheatre.

As the weather begins to heat up in November, there is no better time to take a trip to the Wild West of Buenos Aires, better known as the cowboy town of San Antonio de Areco in Buenos Aires province, heartland of the native gauchos, or Argentine cowboys. The Festival of Tradition honors these local heroes and visitors can expect delicious local food and drink, as well as horse shows with performances and tricks, and a host of gaucho clothing and memorabilia on sale.

This is probably one of the biggest dates on the festival calendar. Although South American Carnival is probably more commonly known for taking place in Brazil, Argentina’s carnival really comes to life in the small town of Gualeguaychú in northern Buenos Aires. Taking place in January and February, Gualeguaychú becomes a vibrant playground, with endless parades, elaborate outfits, otherworldly floats and endless amounts of fun. Don’t miss this festival!

April sees the ringing in of the Ushuaia International Festival, a classical music festival set against the backdrop of the incredible Patagonian landscape at the end of the world in Tierra del Fuego. For two weeks, the southern tip of Argentina becomes the stomping ground for internationally renowned orchestras such as the Berlin Symphony Orchestra and the Ushuaia Philharmonic. There are also choral events across the festival, meaning the hills really are alive with music.

This local festival held in January in the small town of Cosquín in the province of Cordoba is the most important folklore festival in the country. A celebration of traditional folkloric music, song and dance, the event references the Nine Moons of Cosquín and began in 1961 as a means of entertainment for people passing through the area on their summer holidays. Now it is ten days long and features elaborate performances across several stages.

Aside from the Alpine-esque landscapes and incredible lake districts that Bariloche is renowned for, the Patagonian city’s other claim to fame is chocolate. Bariloche boasts the best chocolate in the country, and the annual Bariloche Chocolate Festival celebrates this delicious local treat. Held at Easter, the Chocolate Festival is the perfect end to a season of fasting, allowing you to gorge to your heart’s content on the tasty wares that local chocolatiers have to offer.