Inmaculada Concepción
Patron-saint festival · Tobatí
What it is
An old indigenous mission town next to Caacupé, known for its potters and woodcarvers; it celebrates the Immaculate Conception on the same day as the national shrine.
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
Tobatí · Cordillera
Tobatí
Paraguay's craft capital: potters, carvers of saints and sandstone hills with a natural stone arch.
Festivals and events here
Researched and reviewed in September 2026 with — sources. A second reviewer checked dates, coordinates and lodging. Hours and prices may change.