The Feira Nacional de Agricultura — the National Agricultural Fair — is held in Santarém each June (dates vary) and is one of the largest agricultural fairs in Europe. The fair occupies a dedicated exhibition ground on the edge of the city and draws over 700,000 visitors over its ten-day run. Livestock competitions, agricultural machinery, regional food and wine producers, and folk performances fill the site.
For visitors, the fair is an excellent way to encounter Portuguese rural culture in a concentrated form — the Ribatejo region is cattle country, and the horse and bull shows are central events. The campino, the Ribatejo mounted herdsman in traditional red and green costume, is still a working figure in this landscape, and the fair is one of the few places to see them performing traditional herding demonstrations. The fair is also associated with the Portuguese bullfighting season — Santarém is one of the country's main bullfighting centres and the fair schedule includes corridas.