Feria de Mataderos

   Yesterday I had the opportunity to visit the supposedly "must see" Feria de Mataderos. This specific feria had been talked up to be one of the best places to buy souvenirs and such, by both Argentinians and my professor. It was supposed to be cheaper than the other ferias such as San Telmo. Unfortunately, I have to say it was disappointing to me. I have been to the San Telmo Feria three times since I have arrived here and I absolutely love it, therefore my expectations for this feria were extremely high! There are a few key differences between the two that surprised me... (not all of them are bad!)

1. The size - San Telmo Feria runs down Avenida Defensa beginning at the Plaza de Mayo and ending at Avenida San Juan; about 11 blocks. The Feria de Mataderos was more centralized than San Telmo with a stage at the intersection of two roads that made up the feria. It totaled about 6-7 blocks, having a considerable smaller selection.  
2. The Selection - It was my impression that the selection would be the same as San Telmo, but it was in fact very different. This is both good and bad! The Feria de Mataderos had a broader span of things than San Telmo, but at the same time had a limited selection of specific items. Food is one example of their broader selection. Many booths were food such as cheeses, sausages, homemade meat rubs, marmalade, preserves, jelly, breads etc. There were also food booths set up for food that was to eat while you were there rather than to buy for later such a churros, empanadas, tamales, humitas, as well as many other regional foods I do not know the name of. Right outside of the Feria de Mataderos there is, what an Argentine described as a "pre-feria" that includes numerous tabled full of decadent cake, tarts, pies, etc that I could not help but to indulge in! Other than the food, the selection of items to buy ranged from leather goods, knives, jewelry, music, shoes, clothes, etc. Like I was trying to explain earlier, they have a broader selection, but in a smaller quantity. For example there are good knives to buy in Mataderos, but there are only like 2-3 knife booths. In contrast in San Telmo there is a good selection of scarves and hats, and there are at least 15 booths that have a selection of hats.
3. The location - The Feria de Mataderos is inconveniently located in relation with the rest of the city! It is about as far west and opposite of the city center as you can get. The trip there is long, and if you take a taxi expensive! 
4. The Theme - The Feria de Mataderos is very regionally distinctive, with food and activities specific to the area. The goucho (cowboy) culture is the obvious focus, with mechanical bulls, pony rides, goucho singers and dances. The culture is fun, making the experience much different than San Telmo.

In general, even though the Feria de Mataderos was disappointing to me, I would definitely say it is worth at least a visit. I do not however think it is a "must see" for Buenos Aires. For small souvenirs  would suggest San Telmo over Mataderos, so don't hold out on the gift buying if you visit San Telmo before Mataderos! Things I do suggest when you do visit is to make sure to indulge in the food! It is unique to the area and delicious! Like San Telmo, the Feria is open on Sundays only! Here is the link to the website if you have more questions about the Feria! Enjoy :) http://www.feriademataderos.com.ar/index2.htm