Page 48 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Argentina

46  INTRODUCING ARGENTINA

ARGENTINA THROUGH
THE YEAR

A country that loves fun and celebrations, Aires, Córdoba, and Rosario. The colorful
Argentina has a busy annual calen dar, both fiesta of Carnaval is an event of national
for its cities and provinces. New Year’s Eve impor tance in Gualeguaychú in the Entre
is celebrated with fireworks and family Ríos province. The pre-Lent cele brations
reunions, after which many people begin are still important to the villages of the
their summer holi days on January 2. Some Andean high plains, where they have been
events are localized, and provincial towns fused with pre-Columbian traditions. The
and villages tend to uphold tradi tions with capital loves its festivals, and art and culture
more enthusiasm than the cities of Buenos extrava ganzas are held all year.

culture features music, photo- 12), across Argentina. This
graphy, litera ture, and art. festival officially cele brates the
Fiesta Nacional del Inmigrante discovery of the Americas by
(2nd week of Sep), Misiones. Columbus, although, across the
Dance, lively music, and exotic Andean Northwest, activists
dishes pay homage to commem o rate the many indi-
Argentina’s wel coming genous peoples massacred by
of immigrants. the Spanish colonizers.
Festival Internacional de Contemporary Dance Festival
Buenos Aires (late Sep–early (2nd week of Oct), Buenos Aires.
Oct), Buenos Aires. Held every A week of modern dance events
two years, this event is the at venues across the capital.
country’s biggest arts festival, Oktoberfest (mid-Oct), Villa
featuring presti gious theater, General Belgrano. Córdoba
dance, and music acts from all province celebrates its German
over the world. immigrant heritage with a
huge, 11-day-long Munich-style
October beer festival: expect Bavarian
La Virgen de Luján (Oct 5), costume, oompah bands, wurst
Luján. Faithful devotees walk and strudel, giant foaming
Flowers in full bloom during spring 42 miles (68 km) from the city tankards, and, above all, hordes
in Patagonia center to Luján’s main basilica of revelers: attendance often
to pay homage to the Virgin of tops 50,000.
Luján, patron saint of Argentina, Festival Guitarras del Mundo
Spring
Uruguay, and Paraguay. (mid-Oct), Buenos Aires. This is a
In central Argentina, the Día de la Raza (Mon nearest Oct lively two-week celebration of
temperate weather condi tions
of spring make this an excellent
time to visit Córdoba, Buenos
Aires, and Mendoza. Jacaranda
and ceibo trees blos som in
public parks and plazas, and
flocks of migra tory birds begin
to arrive in the lagoons of the
Pampas and the wet lands. Pre-
summer storms are pos sible but
not likely to last more than a
day. Patagonia is warm and
the weather is pleasant in the
northern provinces by late
spring (mid-October to
November), making it the
best time to visit Argentina.
September
Eisteddfod (early Sep), Gaiman.
This ancient festival of Welsh An indigenous music band performing on Día de la Raza

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