With a crowd, the National Livestock Festival closed the gate

Thousands of people flocked to the fairgrounds on Sunday to round out a celebration that featured everything from production to culture and social to political. The 44th National Livestock Festival of Arid Zones closed its gate until next year. The Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Agriculture, Livestock, Roads, and Services of General Alvear emphasized their overwhelming satisfaction with the work accomplished.

" We are more than satisfied with the number of people who joined us . The fairgrounds were truly packed throughout the festival, and particularly over the weekend, with a large influx of tourists," was the first reflection of Ramiro Labay, president of the General Alvear Chamber of Commerce.

National Livestock Festival

When reviewing the five days of the festival, the head of the organizing body didn't hesitate to emphasize that " the trade show was a success due to the level and number of visitors, but so was the auction , which is the essence of the festival, with more than 2,000 head of cattle and absolutely every lot sold. It must also be said that the technical talks were packed with attendees, the guided tours attracted thousands of students, once again, and a full field of Creole skills and horse riding left us with a totally positive balance," he summarized.

Although for Labay, “the political aspect of the Festival is just another item” among the entire spectrum of activities and events that come together within the fairgrounds, he took the opportunity to mention that “the support of the business chambers of the entire province was total” and immediately afterward he emphasized “having for the first time the president of the Argentine Rural Society ( Nicolás Pino ) ​​and having Coninagro accompany us again with its president, tells us that the festival continues to grow. In addition, all the political authorities of Mendoza , starting with the governor, and the presence of national authorities (Luis Petri, Minister of Defense, and Daniel Scioli, Secretary of Tourism of the Nation) also give us a glimpse of what the festival is all about,” he stated.

There was no shortage of space for social, cultural, and educational activities at this 44th edition . Once again, the guided tours were a huge success, despite rain on Thursday that prevented some schools from participating. More than 6,000 elementary school students visited the grounds, learning about livestock farming and enjoying the children's show, Les Bartués.

As the festival grows, so do its activities. “ This year, we received a large number of requests from secondary schools, both local and from other departments . We decided to welcome some from San Rafael, but we understand that the next step is to create a sample for those ages. We are very happy,” said the general coordinator, Gustavo “Mako” Orueta.

National Livestock Festival

The Festival can boast that it is one of the few celebrations of its kind that includes a literary competition within its schedule . As it has for a decade, Cuentos de Fogón once again shone on Thursday afternoon, bringing together local writers and artists who shared a more than rewarding day at the Feria de Fincas space. The event was organized by SADE General Alvear.

The final stretch of the 44th edition of the Grand Equestrian Festival was a success in every way. The 4th National Tournament of Creole Skills "Domingo Pitulo Aguilera" took place on Saturday. Due to the level of competition and the number of participants, the decision was made to hold three qualifying rounds before the grand finale.

The overall champion of this competition was Bruno Rybñikar , a young man from the Juan Manuel de Rosas Traditionalist Center in San Rafael. “Thank God everything went perfectly. Both the riders and the team did a great job, and the day was on our side. The level of performance demonstrated in the races was incredible ,” said the competition's general coordinator, Miguel Sosa.

National Livestock Festival

On Sunday, the Great Western Argentine Horsemanship Parade featured more than 10,000 people , a total of 100 mounts, and the best herds of horses in the region. This year, Facundo Miranda and Iván Huenchumán were the payadores.

In the morning, a regional gathering took place with more than 15 regional troupes from Mendoza, San Luis, and La Pampa , in the grupa category. This was followed by a sensational culmination of country dancing by the group Pasión Cumbiera.

The next edition of the National Festival of Livestock in Arid Zones has a confirmed date: May 6-10, 2026. In addition, the date for Field Day, the formal opening of the festival, was also announced: Saturday, April 4.

With 480 points in the evaluation, Davina Fernández was chosen as the new representative , marking the first time in Guaymallén's history that she has achieved the highest accolade. The 20-year-old received the awards from Nicol Illanes and, beyond expressing pride in this opportunity, also acknowledged the importance of the evaluation and the Festival in connecting with the regional livestock industry.

“I have relatives on my maternal side who have cattle in a small herd in Colonia Segovia, Guaymallén, whom I visit. But thanks to the Festival, I was able to gain a deeper understanding of livestock farming in the Arid Zones. Both through studying and participating in the Festival, I understood what it contributes to the region's economy, what it seeks to promote, and the differences between the different areas of the province, ” he stated.

National Livestock Festival

Her project, titled “Clean Bubbles,” aims to promote the importance of personal hygiene from an early age, fostering habits, autonomy in body care, and the importance of cleanliness for personal and collective health.

"To bring the project to life, we will seek to hold monthly workshops, playing games, and creating a drawing journal. The idea is to provide a hygiene bag to each child and get families involved to reinforce the habit at home ," Fernández summarized.

Prior to the appointment of the new representative, the Paseo de Embajadoras (Embassadors' Walk) was inaugurated on Thursday with a moving tribute to Elsa Millán, who worked hard to achieve the nationalization of the festival, which she achieved in 1995.