Festive Argentina

Argentineans love to celebrate life at any time, but if you’re in the country during one of their many festivals, you're in for a special treat. Argentina celebrates all of the traditional Christian events such as Xmas and Easter, but also has some unique events of its own. Here's a roundup of three of the more intriguing Argentinean festivals.nnBuenos Aires Tango FestivalnAs befitting the birthplace of that sultry dance the tango, the Buenos Aires Tango Festival is an extravagant party organised by the Argentine ministry of culture since 1999. Held in late February to early March, the annual event attracts tango aficionados from all over the world. It's a dynamic week-long fiesta of dance and music that goes on long into the night in the clubs and cafes of the city. Many of the streets of the capital transformed into open air dance floors, too, offering free shows for all. And you don't have to be just a spectator. You can join free basic tango classes for beginners or master classes if you're an experienced dancer.nnVendimianWine is a great component of any festival, and if the festival is about wine, well, all the better. If you're in the Argentinean wine capital of Mendoza in March, you can join in the celebrations for the wine harvest festival called Vendimia. Actually the celebrations begin in January in the 18 departments that make up the province of Mendoza and then homes in on the provincial capital in March. During the festival, the tree-lined streets and plazas of the capital witness folk dancing, sports events and of course lots of wine drinking. The most popular spot during the festival is the brilliantly-tiled Plaza Italia where you can buy wine by the glass and nibble on such delicacies as snails. One of the highlights of Vendima is the Vía Blanca de las Reinas, a sort of beauty pageant to elect the Harvest Queen. On the evening of the first Friday in March, the belles (Reinas) of each of Mendoza's departments parade through the city streets dressed in the elaborate costumes of their departments. The Harvest Queen is chosen Saturday night in a show held inside an amphitheatre in Plaza San Martin. nnOktoberFest ArgentinanAnother Argentinean festival with a drinking theme is OktoberFest Argentina, the Argentine spin on the Munich October Fest. The event is held at Villa General Belgrano in Cordova province. This 5-day beer guzzling event is touted as being the world's third most important Oktoberfest site after Munich and Blumenau in Brazil. Beer gardens are specially erected for the event. All the major brands of beer are served in tall German steins to celebrants, many of whom are adorned in traditional Bavarian dress. To accompany the beer, German dishes including Frankfurt sausages, leberwurst, smoked pork ribs, sausages with chucrut are offered. But there's more than just eating and drinking. You can also enjoy parades with delegations from all over the world dressed in traditional costumes. The highlight of OktoberFest is the choosing of the National Queen of Beer from 20 hopefuls selected from around the country. These are just a few of the many festival held in Argentina each year. Whatever month you visit, you'll be sure to find an event to captivate and delight you. The only difficulty with visiting the events in Argentina might be your accommodation. Be sure to have a reservation, because Buenos Aires hotels or Mendoza hotels could be fully booked during the festivals. Of course the Internet offers many opportunities to book Argentina hotels in advance.n