Semana Farroupilha

When we were planning our trip to the capital of Brazil’s southernmost state of Rio Grande do Sul, I told friends and family unfamiliar with Porto Alegre that it is located half-way between São Paulo and Buenos Aires. The same may also be true of the city’s culture, or so we have found of two, simultaneous week-long celebrations that coincided with our arrival: Semana Farroupilha and the Jewish High Holidays.


Semana Farroupilha commemorates the Revolution of Farroupilha in 1835, Rio Grande do Sul’s temporary revolt against Brazil. The separatists rejoined Brazil a decade later, in exchange for amnesty, but the memorializing of this event fuels state pride and informs its gaúcho identity.




Similar to the Argentine gaúcho, the Brazilian version, based on self-reliant ranch hands who historically helped hold Brazil’s southern frontier during at least one war with its Spanish neighbors, is easily recognized with his high leather boots, a wide-brimmed hat, thick belt and dagger – the women wear long, puffy dresses in bright solid colors. Because of this political history, as well as its ranching industry, the state is often dubbed the Texas of Brazil.

Commemorative events we attended were a concert of gaúcho music in our neighboring park, a parade on the last day of the week, September 20, and, Acampamento Farroupilha, a weeklong (re)enactment village in another city park next to a year-round rodeo and an enormous BBQ restaurant that seats 600. Each year gaúcho cultural organizations from around the state (established in the last few decades as part of The Gaúcho Movement) inhabit wooden huts in the village where members tend to BBQ pits, play music, etc.

Meanwhile the public visits for daytime recreation, touring the village and observing trappings of the gaúcho lifestyle: watching rodeo competitions, eating BBQ and drinking green tea and beer, listening to gaúcho music, and buying souvenirs like big hats, big boots, and big belts. Similar to any other faux-frontier village, but without actors it’s less about reenactment than enactment. In any case, it proved great fun for us and Noa especially enjoyed the horses and roosters.


Gaúcho music is similar to other Polka-influenced, accordion-based music traditions like Forró, Norteño, and Zydeco. An interesting feature is the song competitions held during festivals of the gaúcho cultural organizations. We didn’t witness any, or so not to our knowledge.

It was dumping rain on the day of the parade, so we watched it on TV. Perhaps because of a pride in the gaúcho’s heartiness or for the sake of TV cameras, those marching in the parade didn’t hold umbrellas and few wore any rain gear – including the children in the parade. After a procession of military, police, fire, and personnel from other municipal services, the gaúcho portion of the parade began. Horses, wagons, floats, period costumes, everything you would expect and all introduced on TV by sentimental announcers. And so ended a soggy Semana Farroupilha.