September events in Patagonia

In September, the La Hoya mountain activity center, 13 km from Esquel (Chubut), dresses up to celebrate the National Ski Festival.

This is also the time of the La Hoya Tetrathlon, organized by Club Andino Esquel, a multi-sport race that draws participants from many places. It starts with ski mountaineering at La Hoya, known for the quality of its snow; then comes a mountain-bike leg along mountain roads, after which competitors paddle kayaks across crystal-clear waters and finally run all the way into town.

The festival includes the Magic Night: the snowy mountains provide a matchless setting for music and comedy shows that go on into the early hours, with a costume party for kids, teenagers and adults.

To mark the arrival of spring and Students' Day, on September 21 the Youth Festivals are held on Jordán Island (Cipolletti), in Luis Beltrán and in Allen, in Río Negro Province, and in Plottier (Neuquén).

On that day young people gather in the green spaces of each town for the traditional picnic, recreational and artistic activities and sports competitions. In the evening each town holds a dance where the Spring or Youth Queen is chosen.

In the last week of September, Huinganco celebrates the Festival of the Forest and the Forest Worker, a tribute to the pioneers of forestry and to those who, with hard work and dedication, keep investing in this resource.

Set in a mountain landscape, with pines covering the surrounding hills, the festival opens with an account of Huinganco's forestry history, which began in 1966 out of the urgent need to stop people leaving the town for lack of work.

After the national and provincial flags are brought in and the national anthem is sung, floral tributes are laid in honor of the forest workers, followed by the traditional community lunch at the Community Center.

In the afternoon there are exhibitions, regional food and handicraft stalls, an axemen's contest and log chopping. The day ends with a dance at the amphitheater and the election of the Forest Queen.

In September, the immigrant communities of Comodoro Rivadavia, Argentina's National Capital of Foreign Communities, gather at the Predio Ferial (fairgrounds) to celebrate the National Festival of Foreign Communities together with the traditional Food Fair, organized by the Federation of Foreign Communities (FeDeComEx).

Visitors taste traditional dishes and drinks while each community's dance groups perform. The stands offer sweet and savory specialties from the participating communities, inviting people back every year to try sauerkraut, banitsa, kibbeh, fish stews, souvlaki, Arab or Chilean empanadas, varenyky and Polish cakes and tarts, among many other dishes.

The federation's activities include the election of the queen and ambassador of cultural diversity.

In 2026 it was held on September 11, 12 and 13 at the Predio Ferial.

Every September, Gaiman hosts the Youth Eisteddfod, a Welsh cultural festival in which children and young people compete in singing, poetry, recitation and dance.

The Welsh word Eisteddfod means “session” or “sitting”, a reference to the audience remaining seated throughout the competitions.

The Eisteddfod has its roots in Wales, where contests for poets and musicians have been held for centuries.

The judges play a teaching role: rather than simply handing out prizes, they assess each participant's work and point out strengths and weaknesses to help them improve.

In 2024 it was held from September 12 to 15, with preliminary rounds starting on the 9th.

On September 3, Junín de los Andes remembers the beatification of Laura Vicuña (1891-1904), declared Blessed by Pope John Paul II in 1988 and presented by the Church as a model for young people and an example of life.

Visitors can take a self-guided tour of the places where she lived: the Fosbery estancia, 19 km from Junín, with the house where she lived with her mother and sister when they settled in the area; the shrine on the corner of Laura Vicuña and San Martín streets, where she fell ill; the spot on the river where she was bathed to bring down her fever; the small house where she died, opposite the shrine; and the place where she was buried in 1904, at the foot of Cerro de la Cruz.

From 1937 to 1958 her remains rested in the cemetery on Necochea Avenue; they were later moved to Bahía Blanca, where they are today.

Her feast day is January 22, the anniversary of her death.