What's on
Paraguay month by month
Patron-saint festivals, fairs, carnivals and the weather of every month. Pick when you travel and we will tell you what is on and where to go.
Autumn
May
The 3rd is Kurusu Ára, with crosses decorated in chipa; on the 14th and 15th, the country dresses in the national colors for Independence Day and Mother's Day. General Resquín holds the National Mbeju Festival, the Chaco hosts Expo Pioneros, and the rally passes through San Pedro and Guairá. Late in the month, the International Book Fair opens in Asunción.
Events 10
Santa Rita Expo
The biggest agribusiness fair outside the capital, with machinery, livestock and big-name shows in the “farming capital.”
ExpoSanta Rita, Alto ParanáFeaturedMay→ JunAsunción International Book Fair (FIL)
Ten days of books, authors and language: the country’s great literary festival, with free entry and a guest country.
CulturalAsunción, Asunción (Distrito Capital)FeaturedApr→ MayNeuland Rodeo Expo
Rodeo, parades, concerts and Brahman cattle in the youngest Mennonite colony of the Central Chaco.
ExpoNeuland, BoquerónMayChaco Pioneers Expo
Farm technology, machinery demonstrations and training sessions in the productive heart of the Central Chaco.
ExpoFiladelfia (Chaco Central), BoquerónMayNational Mbeju Festival
Around fifty cooks make thousands of mbeju on the spot, with music from regional and national artists.
FoodGeneral Isidoro Resquín, San PedroMay→ JunNational Immigrant Festival (Coronel Bogado)
The communities that settled Coronel Bogado show off their dances, costumes and food at a festival of integration.
Heritage communitiesCoronel Bogado, ItapúaMayIndependence Days (May 14 and 15)
Two public holidays for the 1811 independence: flags, ceremonies, sopa paraguaya and chipa guasu all over the country.
CulturalAsunción, Asunción (Distrito Capital)MayKurusu Ára, Day of the Cross
Crosses decked with hundreds of chipas and peanut rosaries: a popular devotion lived in homes and chapels.
ReligiousTodo el país, VariosMaySan Pedro Rally (National Rally Championship)
A round of the national rally on the country roads of San Pedro, based in the town of Santaní.
SportSan Estanislao (Santaní), San PedroMayGuairá Rally (Codasur round)
The South American rally championship comes to the roads of Guairá, based in Villarrica, with stages among hills and farming colonies.
SportVillarrica, GuairáPatron-saint festivals 33
San José Obrero · Capitán Bado
Patron saintCapitán Bado, Amambay1MaySan José Obrero · Capitán Miranda
Patron saintCapitán Miranda, Itapúa1MaySan José Obrero · Choré
Patron saintChoré, San Pedro1MaySan José Obrero · Doctor J. Eulogio Estigarribia
A Brazilian-style rodeo and jineteada (bronc riding) that draw fans from other regions.
Patron saintDoctor J. Eulogio Estigarribia, Caaguazú1MaySan José Obrero · José Fassardi
Patron saintJosé Fassardi, Guairá1MaySan José Obrero · Karapaí
Patron saintKarapaí, Amambay1MaySan José Obrero · Ñacunday
Patron saintÑacunday, Alto Paraná1MaySan José Obrero · Yguazú
Food fairs and festivals that showcase the culture of the Japanese colony alongside Paraguayan traditions.
Patron saintYguazú, Alto Paraná2MaySan Atanasio · Isla Umbú
According to tradition, the patronage stems from a vow made by Marshal López before the Battle of Estero Bellaco (1866).
Patron saintIsla Umbú, Ñeembucú3MaySanta Cruz · Antequera
Honors the Holy Cross; many confuse it with the «Curuzú Chica», a cross raised in memory of a woman who died on the riverbank.
Patron saintAntequera, San Pedro3MaySantísima Cruz · Tres de Mayo
Patron saintTres de Mayo, Caazapá13MayVirgen de Fátima · General Isidoro Resquín
Patron saintGeneral Isidoro Resquín, San Pedro13MayVirgen de Fátima · Naranjal
Patron saintNaranjal, Alto Paraná13MayVirgen de Fátima · Natalio
Patron saintNatalio, Itapúa13MayVirgen de Fátima · Nueva Germania
Patron saintNueva Germania, San Pedro13MayNuestra Señora de Fátima · Presidente Franco
Patron saintPresidente Franco, Alto Paraná13MayVirgen de Fátima · Ypejhú
Patron saintYpejhú, Canindeyú14MaySan Isidro Labrador · Curuguaty
Patron saintCuruguaty, Canindeyú15MaySan Isidro Labrador · Nueva Italia
Patron saintNueva Italia, Central16MayEspíritu Santo · La Paloma del Espíritu Santo
Patron saintLa Paloma del Espíritu Santo, Canindeyú16MaySan Juan Nepomuceno · San Juan Nepomuceno
A typically Paraguayan procession and equestrian games such as the corrida de sortija (ring-lancing on horseback).
Patron saintSan Juan Nepomuceno, Caazapá16MayEspíritu Santo · Villarrica
Procession around the cathedral, fireworks and a folk festival with jineteada (bronc riding) and a food fair.
Patron saintVillarrica, GuairáFeatured22MaySanta Rita · General Díaz
Patron saintGeneral Díaz, Ñeembucú22MaySanta Rita de Casia · Santa Rita
Patron saintSanta Rita, Alto Paraná24MayMaría Auxiliadora · Arroyito
Patron saintArroyito, Concepción24MayMaría Auxiliadora · Bella Vista Norte
Patron saintBella Vista Norte, Amambay24MayMaría Auxiliadora · Capiibary
Patron saintCapiibary, San Pedro24MayMaría Auxiliadora · Fuerte Olimpo
Festival of the capital of Alto Paraguay, on the riverbank beside the 18th-century Fort Borbón.
Patron saintFuerte Olimpo, Alto Paraguay24MayMaría Auxiliadora · General Elizardo Aquino
Patron saintGeneral Elizardo Aquino, San Pedro24MayMaría Auxiliadora · Loma Grande
Patron saintLoma Grande, Cordillera24MayMaría Auxiliadora · Minga Guazú
Patron saintMinga Guazú, Alto Paraná24MayMaría Auxiliadora · Repatriación
Patron saintRepatriación, Caaguazú24MayMaría Auxiliadora · Tomás Romero Pereira
Patron saintTomás Romero Pereira, ItapúaWeather, nature and tips for May
Weather
Cool autumn. Asunción: highs of 25 °C and lows of 15–16 °C; Central Chaco: highs of 27 °C and lows of 15–16 °C.
Rain
Asunción: about 135 mm over 7 days. Chaco: only about 40 mm — the dry season begins.
Nature
The last silk floss trees are in bloom. In some cities, pink lapachos of Brazilian origin flower before the native ones. In the Chaco, the best season for wildlife begins.
In season
Oranges, mandarins and grapefruit — citrus season begins.
Tips
An excellent month for the Central Chaco and hiking. The 14th and 15th holidays bring heavy road traffic — set out early.
Best regions
Seasons
Dec · Jan · Feb
Summer
Asunción: average highs of 33–34 °C and lows of 22–23 °C; Central Chaco: highs of 35–36 °C. Heat waves can push past 40 °C.
Intense, humid heat in the eastern region, with heavy but short-lived afternoon storms and about 130 to 180 mm of rain a month in Asunción. The Chaco gets somewhat less rain, but the heat is extreme and dirt roads turn to mud. It’s the season of school holidays, carnivals, river beaches and swimming holes in the streams.
Best for
- Paraná River beaches in Encarnación and Ayolas
- The carnivals of Encarnación and Villarrica
- Streams and swimming spots in Cordillera and Guairá
- Summer festivals in the interior (Ykua Bolaños, Hawaiian Party, Misiones Tradition)
Keep in mind
The Chaco and the Pantanal (extreme heat, roads cut off by rain), and hiking or outdoor sightseeing between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. The fishing ban (veda) runs through November and December and, in waters shared with Brazil, until the end of January.
What to pack
Mar · Apr · May
Autumn
Asunción: from highs of 32 °C and lows of 21 °C in March to highs of 25 °C and lows of 15 °C in May. Central Chaco: highs from 34 °C down to 27 °C.
The heat eases off gradually. March still feels like summer; April and May bring mild days, clear skies between rainy fronts (April is one of Asunción’s wettest months) and cool nights. In the Chaco, rainfall drops sharply from May and the ideal season for a visit begins.
Best for
- Holy Week in Misiones and Cordillera
- Cities and Jesuit reductions in pleasant temperatures
- Hiking in Cordillera and the Ybytyruzú hills
- Expos in the Chaco and the east (Neuland, Santa Rita, Pioneros)
Keep in mind
In March, the still-fierce midday heat. During Holy Week, highways and accommodation in the interior are overwhelmed: book weeks ahead.
What to pack
Jun · Jul · Aug
Winter
Asunción: average highs of 22–26 °C and lows of 13–15 °C, with cold fronts that can drop below 5 °C and occasional frost. Central Chaco: days of 26–30 °C and nights of 12–15 °C.
The dry season: Asunción gets less than 50 mm of rain in July and August, and the Chaco almost none. Sunny, mild days alternate with cold snaps, especially in June and July; homes usually have no central heating. It’s the best time for the Chaco, city sightseeing and hiking, and the season of San Juan, the Expo and the lapacho trees in bloom.
Best for
- The Central Chaco, salt lagoons with flamingos, and the Pantanal
- San Juan festivals and Kamba Ra’anga
- The Mariano Roque Alonso Expo and Areguá’s Strawberry Fair
- Pink lapachos in bloom from July
- Walking Asunción and the historic towns
Keep in mind
Swimming in rivers and streams (the water is cold). In dry years, fires and smoke increase between August and October in the Chaco, the Pantanal and the north: check before you go.
What to pack
Sep · Oct · Nov
Spring
Asunción: from highs of 28 °C and lows of 16–17 °C in September to highs of 31 °C and lows of 20 °C in November. Central Chaco: highs of 33 °C to 35 °C.
The heat returns and, with October, the rains: October and November are Asunción’s wettest months, with intense thunderstorms. September is usually dry, bright and full of flowers. It’s the season of the yellow lapachos, the arrival of migratory birds, the beer festivals of the German colonies and the big cultural festivals.
Best for
- Lapachos and blossoms in cities and along highways
- Migratory birdwatching
- Oktoberfest and the colonies’ Choppfests
- The Lake and Ñandutí festivals
- The Transchaco Rally
Keep in mind
Dirt roads after storms (the Chaco, the north and rural areas). From November 2 the fishing ban (veda) is in force: this is not sport-fishing season.
What to pack
Public holidays
Paraguay has used UTC-3 year-round since October 2024 (Law 7354/2024, which repealed the daylight-saving system set out in Law 7115/2023): clocks no longer change. It's the same time as Buenos Aires, Montevideo and São Paulo, and one hour ahead of Bolivia (UTC-4).
| 1 Jan | New Year’s Day Fixed holiday. New Year’s Eve on the 31st is celebrated with family, with cider, clericó (a wine-and-fruit punch) and fireworks. |
| 1 Mar | Heroes’ Day Commemorates the death of Marshal Francisco Solano López at Cerro Corá (1870). It can be moved by decree to the preceding or following Monday: in 2026 it was moved to Monday, March 2. |
| 25 Mar | Holy Thursday Movable date (Holy Week). 2026: April 2; 2027: March 25. Cannot be moved. |
| 26 Mar | Good Friday Movable date (Holy Week). 2026: April 3; 2027: March 26. A day for chipa and the Tañarandy procession. Cannot be moved. |
| 1 May | Labor Day Fixed holiday. |
| 14 May | National Independence Day Fixed holiday; the first day of the patriotic celebrations. |
| 15 May | National Independence Day and Mother’s Day Fixed holiday. Restaurants are packed for Mother’s Day. |
| 12 Jun | Chaco Peace Day End of the Chaco War (1935). Can be moved to the preceding or following Monday; in 2026 it fell on a Friday and stayed put. |
| 20 Jun | Swearing-in of the National Constitution A new holiday since 2026 (Law 7544/2025). In 2026 it fell on a Saturday and the Executive moved it by decree to Monday, June 22. The same law allows the Executive to declare up to three additional holidays a year (in 2026, Tuesday, June 30, after the national team’s World Cup win over Germany). |
| 15 Aug | Founding of Asunción Fixed holiday; also the feast of Our Lady of the Assumption, patron saint of the capital. |
| 29 Sep | Victory of Boquerón Chaco War battle (1932). Movable: in 2026 it was moved by decree to Monday, September 28. |
| 8 Dec | Our Lady of Caacupé (Immaculate Conception) Fixed holiday; the main day of the pilgrimage to Caacupé. Highways toward Cordillera are heavily congested. |
| 25 Dec | Christmas Day Fixed holiday. Christmas Eve on the 24th is the big family dinner. |