This year I have visited Cosquin Folklore Festival for the second time. Martin has been visiting it almost every year for his entire life. Every time is bright, colorful, interesting and impressing.
The best folklore singers and dancers come to Cosquin from all over the country to participate in the festival. Here we want to share this experience with you.
Location of the festival
This Argentinian largest folklore festival is carried out in the city of Cosquin, province of Cordoba. The city itself has a population of around 20,000 people. Every year thousands of people come to Cosquin to enjoy the music. To give you some reference on the amount of visitors, back in 1997 over 600,000 people came to see the festival.
The main show happens at the square called La plaza Próspero Molina at the main street of the city. It can host 10,000 people inside it. There are thousands of people standing outside the square and enjoying the sound of the concert. The main entrances to the square are also a great place to watch the fireworks at the beginning of each show.
Parade of Cosquin Folklore Festival
The first day of the festival traditionally starts with a parade. Music bands, dancing groups not only from all over Argentina, but also from other countries are going through the city showing their costumes, flags of provinces and countries and some elements of their programs.
There are groups not only from neighborhood countries, but also from further ones: Russia and surprisingly Japan. The latter like this show so much that they have their own version in Japan: Cosquín en Japón.
Parade of Cosquin 2019
Many people who do not participate in show programs still come in national costumes. Especially nice it looks when children wear it.
Stages of Cosquin Folklore Festival
The main stage of the festival is at La Plaza de Próspero Molina. Beside that there are several stages in the streets of Cosquin, where dancers of various schools from the whole Argentina give their shows and musical bands play for guests to dance.
Also there are “peñas” – places with simple traditional food and drinks where people come to dance and enjoy music. It is an amazing thing. Once a band starts to play some zamba, chacarera, gato or some other traditional music, a huge number of people stand up from their tables and dance. They all do things synchronized, everyone knows the choreography.
Cordoba’s most famos radio station – Cadena 3 – has its own peña next to the main stage: La peña El Corralito. Shows from there are being aired online on the radio to all Argentina, so people can enjoy live music for several hours before the main show begins.
Fair of handmade goods during the Cosquin Folklore Festival
The festival is a great opportunity to find some nice handmade things from the provinces and countries-participants of the festival. There you can buy things from jewelry to furniture and music instruments. I especially liked handmade leather purses and bags by Adrian Falabella.
There is also a touristic exhibition of Argentinian provinces where people can see their attractions or try some local food and wine.
General impression
I like Argentinian folklore. It is very expressive, emotional, beautiful. I like it how people of all ages come united to enjoy their own culture, regardless of the circumstances.
Argentinian folklore is something that resonates with people’s souls. It resonate with my own heart, even though I never considered myself as a folklore type of a person.
I am glad there is such a big festival in the province where we live. Every time we go there we enjoy sceneries of the Camino al Cuadrado – a picturesque road in the Valle de Punilla and Sierras Chicas.
We start our journey enjoying the mountain views, having some mate in a peaceful place and then dive into the atmosphere of the festival with all its colors and music. What a contrast! I absolutely love this experience.
If you come to Argentina in the second half of January, this is a must-do. Come to Cosquin to see everything with your own eyes, enjoy the music with your own ears and enjoy this experience with your own soul. It will definitely worth it!