Over three hundred years of history were celebrated in September in the neighboring town of Villa Giardino. Several thousand people from the region gathered to party and honor the Virgen Merced. The Fiestas Patronales included an outdoor mass, a procession with the Virgen Merced, a parade of horses with people from the region dressed in gaucho gear, and a Peña Folklorica. Many of the participants traveled some distance to participate. A day or two in advance of the Fiestas, across the region, one could see people on horseback approaching to join the festivities.
It was quite impressive to see all the children riding horses as part of the procession.
Capilla de Nuestra Señora de la Merced
The annual celebration of the Fiestas Patronales takes place at the Capilla de Nuestra Señora de la Merced. The capilla was constructed in the late 1770's on the Estancia La Cañada. The tract of land for the Estancia La Cañada was purchased by Sargento Mayor Don José de Capdevilla and Francisca Quinteros in 1716.
The chapel contains a family cemetery, one of the oldest in the region. Aborigines and Black slaves were also buried here. The cemetery was used until 1940.
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