Summer is synonymous with color, music and celebration in Tucumán

Although Tucumán is the birthplace of great celebrations that give a very special setting to each moment of the year, many of the most important ones are concentrated during the summer, even more so in the month of February, where each destination brings out the most deeply rooted customs and traditions of its people.

One of the main events of the month is, without a doubt, the National Cheese Festival that is celebrated in Tafí del Valle and that pays homage to this product of our gastronomy that constitutes one of the oldest industries in the province. It is that around 1718 the lands where the original inhabitants lived were sold to the Company of Jesus and in that period the order founded by San Ignacio de Loyola would leave the legacy of the Tafinist cheeses in the valley. The celebration continues to this day with four days in which people enjoy parades of gaucho groups, fairs of regional products, Creole skills such as taming, la cintada, pialada and yerra (livestock branding) tafinista and musical shows with great exponents of the country. In addition, a special feature of each edition is the election of the “Donosa” (The Cute woman) of the valleys.

Another must-see event in February is the National Pachamama Festival (Pachamama: the oldest woman of the region), which is celebrated every year in the Cradle of Mother Earth, Amaicha del Valle, and which brings together hundreds of people from all over the region who meet in that magical place. The festival extends for several days in which a variety of community activities take place and the main day is the Election of the new Pachamama of the town with a cheerful and colorful parade in which music and streamers are not lacking.

On the other hand, San Pedro de Colalao, the so-called Branch of Heaven, famous for being one of the first summer villages in the province, invites you to celebrate the Provincial Quesillo Festival, an ideal opportunity to taste exquisite cheeses from the Trancas dairy basin accompanied by music and folk dances.

Gastronomy is once again a reason for gathering, in this case in the El Pichao area, nestled in the landscapes of the Calchaquí Valley, where the Festival of Artisanal Sweets takes place every year. Without a doubt, this meeting is a great opportunity to taste and buy the most exquisite sweets, syrups, jellies and liqueurs of the province, made from different fruits such as quince, apple, peach and fig, among many others.

Finally, among the festivities that seek to imprint the identity and tradition of our towns, the Mountain Horse Festival should be highlighted, the invitation of each February in the tourist village of Raco, seeks to show the qualities of the horses along with the skills of their riders.