August events in Patagonia

Every year in August, Ushuaia holds its cross-country ski festival in the Tierra Mayor valley, about 20 km from the city. Organized by Club Andino Ushuaia, it brings together two races: the Marchablanca, a 21 km race with shorter promotional distances for the whole family, and the Ushuaia Loppet, a 42 km race that is part of the international Worldloppet circuit. In 2026, the Marchablanca was held on August 16.

This style of skiing, which originated in the Nordic countries, is now practiced with remarkable intensity in the Tierra del Fuego landscape. It is ideal for families, as it takes place on almost flat terrain with very low physical risk.

The landscape surrounding Ushuaia, with wide valleys covered in forests of lenga, coihue and canelo (winter's bark), turns this sport into a fascinating experience.

Between late July and early August, the city of Punta Arenas –Magallanes Region– hosts the Patagonia Folk Music Festival (Festival Folclórico en la Patagonia), organized by the Municipality as part of its Invernadas winter program.

Over three nights, at the gym of the Confederación Deportiva de Magallanes, regional, national and international songs compete, and guest artists from Chile and Argentina perform. The festival was created to bring the peoples of Argentina and Chile together through music and folklore. In 2025 it was held from July 31 to August 2.

In August, San Martín de los Andes –Neuquén– celebrates the National Mountaineer Festival, one of the most representative events of the town's timber tradition and mountain culture, which brings whole families together.

The main day takes place on San Martín Avenue and at the Civic Center, with the traditional Axemen Contest, where axemen, axewomen, young axe-choppers, chainsaw operators and crosscut-saw teams from different towns in the region compete, and the Mountaineer Parade, featuring institutions and associations devoted to mountain sports and activities. In 2026 it was held on Sunday, August 23.

Skiers from different parts of the world come to Cerro Chapelco, 20 km from San Martín de los Andes (Neuquén), to take part in the Federico Graeff Memorial, a stop on the International Ski Federation (FIS) South American Cup organized by Club Lácar (Asociación Deportiva y Cultural Lácar).

The race awards FIS points and pays tribute to Federico Graeff, a pioneer of skiing at Chapelco. It is an exciting snow-sport event, well worth watching.

Every August, Ushuaia (Tierra del Fuego) hosts the Marchablanca, the traditional cross-country ski trek through the Tierra Mayor valley.

This eagerly awaited event brings together hundreds of cross-country skiing enthusiasts in the stillness of the icy valleys of Tierra del Fuego, offering a colorful, lively spectacle that, far from being just a race, has become a tradition that sets winter apart in the southern city.

It is organized by Club Andino Ushuaia and is open to everyone, regardless of experience or age. What makes it special is its popular spirit: it draws not only experienced Nordic skiers but also entire families.

To welcome a wide range of participants, courses of different lengths are laid out, from a short promotional run to the competitive distance of about 20 km.

In 2026 it was held on Sunday, August 23, with 21 km, 10 km and 2.5 km courses.

In the heart of winter, the Valdelén winter center, 4 km from Río Turbio (Santa Cruz), hosts this provincial festival, with ski competitions, sports demonstrations and the traditional torchlight descent. Folk music gatherings, artistic shows, craft fairs and the awards ceremony for the participants round off the celebration.

It is organized by Club Andino Río Turbio (C.A.R.T.).

In 2026 the main day was Sunday, August 16; in 2025 it took place in July.

In late August, Caepe Malal and Tricao Malal, in the north of Neuquén Province, celebrate the feast of Saint Rose of Lima with an all-night folk gathering featuring dancing, singing and regional food.

The Primeros Pinos snow park, about 50 km from Zapala (Neuquén), hosts a range of cultural activities and sports competitions to promote the area.

Tours and outings are also organized so that adults and children alike can enjoy the snow that blankets the surroundings of the complex.

Every August, Puerto Varas (Los Lagos Region, Chile) holds its Music Festival. Open-air concerts by regional and national orchestras and the municipal music academy take place in the city's civic center, delighting audiences with beautiful music and opening the concert series known as “Waiting for Spring”.

In late August, San Martín de los Andes hosts the Chapelco Tetrathlon, one of Argentina's most traditional multisport races, combining four disciplines on a mountain course: skiing, mountain biking, kayaking and running.

The race starts at the base of Mount Chapelco. After the ski leg, competitors ride down to the shore of Lake Lácar, paddle a kayak leg on the lake and finish on foot at Plaza San Martín, in the town center. In 2026 the course covered 66 km: 17 km of skiing, 27 km of mountain biking, 10 km of kayaking and 12 km of running.

Athletes compete individually or in teams of two or four, in women's and men's categories.

It is a tough challenge for the competitors and an exciting show for the spectators who follow them along a course set in some of Patagonia's finest scenery.

In 2026 the race was held on Saturday, August 29. In 2025, due to lack of snow, the ski leg was replaced by a running leg on the mountain.