Horses, Cowboys, and Grilled Meat – Oh My!

If you think I have finally gotten off my butt and left Buenos Aires, you would be wrong.

A lesser-known attraction on the very edge of Buenos Aires is La Feria de Mataderos.  I had read that you could get an authentic taste of the campo (aka country) at this festival.  After several weeks of city life, I was ready for a little taste of the country.

It seemed a little kitsch, but I certainly would not call it touristy.  Most people there were Argentine.

So what can you do at the Feria de Mataderos?

Buy Cowboy Stuff

Of course there were vendors set up selling their wares.  After all, this is a street fair.  But I noticed that the quality was different from the crap I see peddled at Plaza Dorrego or outside the Recoleta Cemetery.  (Sorry, if you bought something there).  I don’t think I saw a single booth selling cheesy, cheaply-made trinkets.

who doesn’t need a knife with a handle made from a wrench?

who doesn’t need a bottle made from a hoof?

Buy Specialty Foods

cheese, fiambres, and bread – the staple of every argentine diet

they have finally gone too far

an ice cream cone filled with dulce de leche

Music and Dancing

The stage with live music seemed to be the most popular part of the fair.  The bands are all Argentine and play traditional music.  It seemed that locals who truly enjoy the traditional dances just show up and dance.

Eat Grilled Meat

What event in Buenos Aires would be complete without grilled meat?

I had a tasty choripan

Caballos and Gauchos

My favorite part of the afternoon was watching the gauchos (cowboys) and caballos (horses) competition.  I have no idea what this game is called.  (My Google search of the terms horse, equestrian, competition, metal, ring yielded no answers.)   Basically, a cowboy rides a horse as fast as possible for about 70 meters to build up speed and then tries to stick a metal pin through a tiny metal ring hanging from a bar.

Bonus points for anyone who actually knows what this competition is called.

I was surprised how many of the gauchos were successful at this event

My favorite competitor

he couldn’t have been more than 12 years old

So  I got a taste of the campo without leaving the city limits.  One day soon, I will see the real thing.

The Verdict

Probably not worth your Sunday afternoon if you are visiting Buenos Aires for a short vacation.  If you are staying longer or living here and like horses, cowboys, grilled meat, and people dancing in funny outfits, check it out.

Tips

- Bar Oviedo is right in the middle of the street fair.  This is one of the bares notables in Buenos Aires, so you should pop in and check it out.

- There were several restaurants surrounding the street fair.  The food looked delicious and the prices were reasonable.  A good option if you prefer a sit-down meal as opposed to eating a choripan while walking through the crowd.