Parties and Festivals

Due to its immense culture and people's wealth, Tucumán owns some of the most indigenous and colorful parties and festivals in the country. Every month, the different destinations in the province await you with their celebrations in honor of the humita (corn cakes), the Yerbiao (an alcoholic drink made with an infusión of yerba mate), or the Pachamama (Mother Earth), so that you can be part of the tradition.

In January, the National Vegetable Festival takes place in El Mollar, and its objective is to pay tribute to Mother Earth. The festivities begin with the tasting of fruits, vegetables and regional foods and continue with the performance of folk groups and copleras, parades of gaucho groups, and demonstrations of Creole skills. During this month the National Antigal Festival (Antigal: ruins of ancient towns) is also held in Colalao del Valle. It seeks to honor the memory of the ancestors. In San Pedro de Colalao, on the other hand, the National Humita Festival takes place. It celebrates this delicacy so typical of the region with the participation of important musicians. Finally, the Provincial Yerbiao Festival is held in Tafí del Valle. It celebrates this traditional infusion of our native peoples in a day filled with music, dance, gaucho parades, and the demonstration of branding and dressage.

In February, the National Cheese Festival is held in Tafí del Valle, which consists of a large folklore festival with the participation of local and national artists that seeks to pay tribute to this product that constitutes one of the oldest industries in Tucumán. In El Pichao, on the other hand, the Artisanal Sweets Festival takes place, a great meeting that brings together the towns of the Calchaquí Valley where attendees can taste and purchase sweets, syrups, jellies and liqueurs based on different fruits. In Raco, meanwhile, the Hill Horse Festival takes place, which seeks to demonstrate the qualities of the horses from the Tucumán hills and the skill of their riders. For its part, San Pedro de Colalao welcomes its visitors with the Provincial Quesillo Festival (Quesillo: a kind of cheese), an ideal opportunity to taste exquisite cheeses accompanied by music and folk dances. Finally, during this month the National Festival of Pachamama also takes place in Amaicha del Valle, which celebrates Mother Earth. It is a convening event filled with the joy and color of the carnival that lasts a week and in which the new Pachamama (the oldest woman in the town) is chosen.

In April, the National Walnut Festival stands out, one of the oldest celebrations in Tucumán, which each year is part of the Holy Week calendar in San Pedro de Colalao and includes a high-ranking musical lineup.

In May, Acheral welcomes its visitors with the Festival sings to Yupanqui (Atahualpa Yupanqui: a popular Argentine folk singer-songwriter), which consists of a folk bonfire where singers, dancers and horsemen gather to remember “Don Ata” and then, at midnight, a parade begins to Tafí del Valle following the trail the poet traveled so many times.

July is synonymous with the fair in Tucumán. On Saturdays of this month, the National Fair Festival is celebrated in Simoca, in the south of the province. Visitors can enjoy delicious regional dishes and purchase products and crafts made by the city's stallholders. The festival is accompanied by musical shows and folk dances. This is the most traditional and oldest fair in the country. During this month, the Patero (foot-pressed wine) and Mistela (a sweet wine) Wine Festival is also celebrated in Amaicha del Valle, in which traditional wines and typical foods are tasted while enjoying couplets, the best folklore and Creole skills. As part of this celebration, a competition is held in which the wines are made by hand. Colalao del Valle, for its part, celebrates the Ponchi Festival, which includes the tasting of this traditional drink, horseback riding to the archaeological ruins of El Pichao, popular dances and craft fairs. Meanwhile, within the framework of July 9, Famaillá receives siblings from all over the country at the National Twins Festival, which honors them and grows in attendance year after year.

After the winter holidays, in August, Amaicha del Valle celebrates Pachamama Day, which takes place on the first day of the month and consists of giving offerings to Mother Earth to pray for a fruitful year for the people. Concepción honors one of the main delicacies of local gastronomy with the National Locro Festival, where chefs from all over the city compete to make the best version of this dish, which attendees can taste while enjoying a great musical show. Finally, Leales welcomes its visitors with a party that honors Argentineness and Creoleism. This is the Provincial Dressage and Folklore Festival. It combines music, dance, and horseback riding shows among its attractions.

September is synonymous with the most delicious empanadas in the country. During this month the famous National Empanada Festival takes place in Famaillá, a celebration where attendees can share the entire process of making this dish and then taste this delicacy made by different competitors within the framework of a contest. At the same time, they can enjoy a musical show featuring national artists. During its last day and after the deliberation of a prestigious jury, the festival crowns the new champion of the empanada (a kind of pastry filled with different types of meat).

During this month the Lules Canta a la Patria festival (Lules Sings to the Homeland) and La Cocha Canta a su Tierra (La Cocha Sings to its Land) are also celebrated and the National Lemon Festival takes place in Tafí Viejo, which lasts three days with the presence of great figures of Argentine folklore.

October is another month full of parties and festivals in Tucumán. In the north of the province, Trancas awaits its visitors with the National Horse Festival; in the south the famous Monteros de la Patria, Fortaleza del Folklore (Monteros of the Homeland, Fortress of Folklore), and the National Sugar Cane Festival in Aguilares.

Finally, in November Simoca invites you again to visit it, this time for its National Sulky Festival, which pays tribute to this means of transportation that is the identity of the Simoca people and has now become a symbol of the south of Tucumán. One of the distinctive details of this celebration is the sulkys’ parade that marches through the streets of the city.