The Carnival of Jaguarão on the Brazil and Uruguay Border: cultural and economic dimension

dimensão cultural e econômica

Abstract

This text aims to put on the agenda the street carnival of Jaguarão, located in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, and bordering the city of Rio Branco, Cerro Largo, Uruguay, in its cultural and economic dimensions. For this, we make a brief historical journey of nature and the growth of this festivity in the city whose border region is an enigmatic place in its peculiarity. According to the National Confederation of Trade in Goods and Services, thousands of tourists participate in this popular demonstration, and the research carried out by this body has shown that this number is only increasing. From the above, the curiosities that erupt are as follows: i. how did the city of Jaguarão come to this carnival of a specific nature? ii. what is the tradition of this revelry? iii. what is the relationship of the festivity with the neighboring city of Uruguay? and, iv. how is the organization of the party, given the proportion that this event took? Such curiosities are related to the dilemma that we have pointed out: increased capital inflows, allowing income for hundreds of families and service companies during the revelry, and recognizing the constant increase in tourists, how local planning for adequate reception can be improved to this event? Thus, in this study, we consider Bakhtinian theorization about the concept of carnival and popular culture, and the bases of public cultural policies so that we can build the historical trajectory that we propose and, thus, seek to indicate future possibilities for Jaguarense carnival.