Feria de Mataderos

The Feria de Mataderos is the most authentic slice of rural Argentine culture you can find inside the city limits, and a world away from the tango and boutiques of the centre. It takes place on Sundays in Mataderos, a working-class neighbourhood on the far western edge of Buenos Aires whose name, the slaughterhouses, recalls its history as the city's meat-packing district. For more than a century the Mercado de Hacienda, the great cattle market, operated here, and the fair is held beside its handsome old building with its arcades and clock tower, at the corner of Avenida Lisandro de la Torre and Avenida de los Corrales. The fair began in 1986 as a celebration of the traditions of the interior provinces, and it has grown into a large and joyful gathering with more than five hundred stalls. Artisans sell silverwork, mates and bombillas, knives with ornate handles, leather goods, ponchos, woven textiles and ceramics, while food stalls serve the dishes of the provinces: locro, a thick stew of corn, beans and meat; empanadas of every regional style; tamales and humitas; pastelitos; and, of course, choripán and meat from the grill. A stage hosts live folk music, chacarera and zamba, and couples dance in the street, often joined by visitors who are pulled in to try the steps. On some days, gauchos in traditional dress show their horsemanship in the carrera de sortija, galloping at full speed to spear a small ring hanging from a bar with a stick. The Museo Criollo de los Corrales nearby adds displays on gaucho life and the history of the cattle trade.

When to go: the fair runs on Sundays from March to December and takes a summer break in January and February, so check the schedule if your trip falls near those months. It gets going from late morning, and the music and dancing are liveliest in the afternoon. Entry is free, and food is inexpensive, so bring cash in small notes for stalls, as not all accept cards. Plan on two or three hours, longer if you settle in for lunch and the dancing.

Getting there: Mataderos is a long way from the centre, around an hour by bus or about forty-five minutes by taxi or app ride, depending on traffic. Taxi or app ride is the easiest option. The neighbourhood is residential and working-class, and the fair itself is busy and friendly, but take the usual city precautions: keep valuables discreet, watch your phone in crowds, and stay around the fair area rather than wandering the side streets.

Who it suits: anyone curious about the Argentina beyond the capital's European face, food lovers who want to eat the dishes of the interior provinces, and families who will enjoy the horses, music and open-air atmosphere. If you are not making the trip to San Antonio de Areco, this is the easiest way to see gaucho culture during a city stay; if you are, it makes a fine, less polished counterpoint. It also pairs well with a Sunday morning at the San Telmo fair for travellers with energy, though most people choose one or the other.