Gaucho Culture: La Rural

You may not have heard of La Rural, but it is one of the most important events in the social calendar in Argentina. Also known as La Exposición Rural - translating as “The Rural Exhibition” - La Rural is an annual agricultural and livestock show held in the Palermo area of Buenos Aires. Organised by The Argentine Rural Society, La Rural has been held in the Santa Fe Avenue exhibition centre every July since 1886. Not only important for agricultural workers and farmers, this celebration of Argentine gaucho culture is also attended by South American high society, with balls, dances, concerts and other social events taking place in conjunction with La Rural.

La Rural is first and foremost a farming show, hosting breeders from around Argentina, who come to showcase their livestock; cattle being the most popular, although large areas are devoted to poultry, horses, sheep and even llamas. It is visited by over a million people a year, and plays host to hundreds of stands and thousands of animals. Popular activities within La Rural include watching the judging of the champions, live folk music, traditional dances, and fine dining. La Rural is, above all, a celebration of the culture of Argentina, and all that it brings to the country.

The Argentine Rural Society was formed in 1866 by Eduardo Olivera and José Martínez de Hoz, with an aim to “To cultivate the soil is to serve the country”. In the 1870s, the exhibition centre was built, complete with a stadium and exhibition hall. When La Rural is not on, the centre hosts a range of other events, from trade fairs, to the annual book festival, to Zamba dances, to traditional Argentine barbeques in the dining halls. Today, the society has members across the country, numbering over 10,000.

As with the British country shows you might be familiar with, La Rural is also a popular shopping event - as well as farming equipment and animals on sale, clothing from practical to high-end is also available. Attendees of the event, often inspired by the genuine, traditional gaucho style flaunted by the gauchos in attendance, will seek out garments to emulate their signature, effortless style. Here at pampeano we bring the traditional Argentine gaucho style to you, stocking a broad range of luxury leather accessories, hand-made in Argentina, just like what you would find at La Rural each year. From our iconic polo belts, popular with everyone from farmers to high society in South America, to travel bags for when you visit La Rural for yourself, there’s something for everyone. Take a look here on our website at our full range of products.