Asunción CityParaguay travel guide
GuarambaréZunini8py · CC BY-SA 4.0
Patron saint

Natividad de María

Patron-saint festival · Guarambaré

8 sepSeptember
Directions

What it is

Mass, galopa (a traditional dance), karu guasu (a big communal feast) and the traditional «vito», when banknotes are tossed into the crowd.

The fiesta patronal (patron saint's festival) is the biggest day of the year in every Paraguayan town. It honors the local patron saint or Virgin with a novena (nine days of prayer), a serenade on the eve, a main Mass and a procession with a brass band, firecrackers and flags. Then comes the secular side: a kermesse (village fair) on the plaza, karu guasu (a big communal feast), chipa (cheesy cassava bread) and sopa paraguaya (savory cornbread) at the food stalls, dancing, torín or Paraguayan-style bullfighting (the bull is never killed), jineteadas (rodeo-style bronc riding) and carreras de sortija (a horseback ring-lancing race). As a visitor, arrive early for the procession, be respectful during Mass, try the food cooked by the parish committees and ask for the program at the church: dates often shift to the nearest weekend.

Dates may shift to the nearest weekend.

What to see

Guarambaré

Guarambaré · Central

Guarambaré

A sugarcane town with 19th-century mansions and a mill that exports organic sugar.

Festivals and events here

Verified · sep 2026

Researched and reviewed in September 2026 with — sources. A second reviewer checked dates, coordinates and lodging. Hours and prices may change.