One of my favorite things to show friends visiting Argentina are the open air markets in Buenos Aires.  Called mercados or markets, and sometimes ferias, or fairs, many mix shopping with free live entertainment, often music and tango dancing. Some of it is so great, you’ll feel very compelled to drop a few pesos into the hats on the sidewalk!

Here are just a few open air markets and you might find a few on your own.

The San Telmo Antiques Fairwhich takes place every Sunday from 10am to 5pm, and later in summer, at Plaza Dorrego and spilling onto Calle Defensa, is the most famous in all of Argentina.  It’s a colorful experience that will delight even the most jaded traveler.  I have also found locals love to come and shop, often flirting with and hooking up with tourists. As street vendors sell their wares, singers and dancers move around the crowd. Among the multitude of vendors, you’ll find antique silversmiths, porcelain, crystal, and other antiques, along with books and other souvenirs of the city. This market is especially well known for tango performances in Plaza Dorrego into the late evening, even if most of the vendors themselves close up at 5pm. The star of the tango performances is Pedro Benavente, a tall dark, handsome dancer known as “El Indio,” and you’ll see his photos on sale throughout Buenos Aires. I highly recommend this fair as a not-to-be-missed trip while in Buenos Aires. Make sure to plan a Sunday in San Telmo when deciding out your Buenos Aires trip.

Head to Cabildo Patio Feria when sightseeing in the Plaza de Mayo area. This fair is on Thursday and Friday from 11am to 6pm in the patio behind the Cabildo, or old city hall. It’s great for locally made crafts like pottery, stained glass, and jewelry.

For sheer authenticity, the Feria de Mataderos, also known as the Traditions and Artisans Fair, takes place April to December every Sunday from 11am to 8pm, and January to March Saturdays, 6pm to 1am on the streets surrounding the intersection of Avenida de los Corales and Avenida Lisandro De La Torre. Mataderos, the name of the Buenos Aires neighborhood about 20 minutes from the center where it is held, literally means slaughterhouses. They still exist in the area, adding a certain something to the air as well!  This also means there is a genuine gaucho feel with music, dancing and crafts.

I like also to head to the Feria de Madres de Plaza de Mayo Friday to Sunday from 11am to 6pm, hold the fair in front of the Madres headquarters overlooking Plaza Congreso. It’s ideal for kids too as it is nearby the park’s merry-go-round and other rides. The fair has antiques, crafts, food, and book vendors, and sometimes live music. I find it’s casual and among the least touristy of the fairs, giving you a chance to speak to locals who support the Madres.

The most touristy of all the fairs I think is the La Boca Fair is open every day from 10am to 6pm or sundown on the Caminito, a colorful pedestrianized and art-filled thoroughfare in the heart of this neighborhood.If you need tacky souvenirs in a hurry, get your shopping done here. Tango singers and other street performers are also here. Safety has improved in La Boca, but tourists should leave the area at night when the police leave and shops have closed.

Plaza Serrano Fair is at the intersection of Calle Serrano and Honduras, which forms the heart of Palermo Soho. Bohemian arts and crafts are sold here while locals sing and play guitars. Officially, the fair is held Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 6pm, but \ vendors will also set up at night when restaurants are full. Those same restaurants fill their empty spaces with clothing racks for young designers who cannot afford their own boutiques on weekends during the lunch hour. It’s definitely worth a visit. Plaza Serrano is also sometimes called by its official name, Plazaleto Jorge Cortazar.

Recoleta Fair, sometimes called Feria de Plaza Francia, is Saturday and Sunday in front of Recoleta Cemetery from 10am until sunset, offers every imaginable souvenir, along with food. This has become one of the city’s largest fairs, completely taking over all the walkways in the area.  Even Iglesia Pilar, Recoleta Cemetery’s church, sets up tables with postcards and religious souvenirs in its courtyard. Live bands sometimes play on the hilly slope overlooking Libertador.

Make sure to also check out our stories on Buenos Aires shopping malls, shopping districts, men’s stores, and leather apparel stores.