Festival Nacional de la Chaya

Celebrated every February in the city of La Rioja, the Chaya blends Diaguita indigenous roots (rituals honoring the Pachamama) with Creole traditions, featuring music, dance, and the traditional topamientos, where participants throw water and flour at one another. The high point of this Rioja folk celebration is the Pujllay, a rag doll unearthed to open the festivities and burned to close them, with well known Argentine folk artists sharing the stage alongside local performers.