Every two years, Vacaria hosts an event that takes over the whole town. What the Rodeio Crioulo Internacional is and what to expect if you are coming for the first time.
There is a monument at the entrance to Vacaria, by the BR-116 highway, honouring a horseman. It is not decoration. It is a statement of identity.
The Rodeio Crioulo Internacional de Vacaria, the International Gaucho Rodeo, is the largest traditional gaucho festival in Latin America, held in even-numbered years by the CTG Porteira do Rio Grande, one of the traditionalist centres that keep gaucho culture alive across southern Brazil. And it is not only a rodeo: it is a week in which the whole town changes pace.
What happens
The rodeo brings together horsemanship trials, lasso competitions, traditional dances, regional music concerts, contests for prendas and peões (the young women and men who represent their centres), a craft fair and typical food. It welcomes delegations from all over Rio Grande do Sul and from neighbouring countries, hence the “international” in the name.
Everything is set up in a dedicated park, with sheds, an arena and a camping area. Many visitors stay in the park itself, in tents and stables, which gives you an idea of the scale.
Why it is bigger than it seems
Gaucho traditionalism is not occasional folklore. It is a form of cultural organisation that spans generations, with traditionalist centres spread across the whole state and their own rules for dress, dance, music and competition.
Vacaria has a specific place in that story. The town was born on the cattle drovers’ trail, the route of the men who drove herds from Sorocaba, in São Paulo, down to the south and stopped here. The rodeo is, in a way, a celebration of that origin.
For first-timers, the first impression is usually one of scale: the number of horses, of people in bombachas (the traditional wide trousers), of whole families camping. And of organisation, which is greater than most people expect.
If you are coming for the rodeo
Two important things:
Book well in advance. During rodeo week, Vacaria’s hotels run at capacity. Anyone who leaves the decision to the last minute ends up sleeping in a neighbouring town.
Consider staying in the centre. The park has facilities, but many people prefer to alternate: days at the rodeo, nights in a room with a hot shower and a real bed. Especially in July, when Vacaria is one of the coldest towns in Brazil.
Plaza Hotel is in the centre, with covered parking and breakfast included. If you are coming for the rodeo and want a proper night’s rest, talk to us, preferably months ahead.