The only reason most people visit Barretos is the Festa do Peão de Boiadeiro, held every August. The festival runs for ten days in the second half of the month and draws around 800,000 to one million visitors. Book accommodation months in advance — rooms within 50 kilometres fill up entirely. During the festival the Parque do Peão runs around the clock: bull riding in the afternoons and evenings, with major sertanejo and forró acts performing nightly.
Outside August, Barretos is a quiet provincial town with little specific to draw visitors. The climate is hot year-round, with a wet season from October through March. If you are passing through without timing your visit to the festival, a couple of hours at the Parque do Peão and a good churrasco lunch is about right.