Events
For the latest for coming events click here to view Central Portugal Blogg
If you have or know of an event that you think should be publicised here, please email hugh@centralportugal.com
Annual Music Festivals
Cantanhede Dixieland festival 8,9,10,11,June Old time New Orleans Dixie Jazz festival. A truly international mixture of bands, lots of walkabout acts, vintage cars and girls doing the Charleston
Festival International de Espinho Classical Music near Porto during July
Cool Jazz Fest Mafra, Cascais and Oeiras in July
Rock in Rio rock, dance music Lisbon 26/27 may and 2/3/4 June
Tom de Festa Festival of world Music, mid July Tondela
Festival Tejo Mid July, Azambuja
Festival do Mundo World music in Sines, end of July
Festival Vilar de Mouros Mid August, North Portugal
Boom Festival Trance Music near Castelo Branco Mid August
Celtirock End of July, Montalegre
Festival Sudoeste Beginning August, South West
Festival Sunrise Albufeira, Mid August
Festival Paredes de Coura Mid August North Portugal
Dance Festivals
Andanças S. Pedro do Sol early August
A truly international dance festival running for a week in the beginning of August. Set in the foothills of the Serra de Arada, there are workshops during the day of every type of dance imaginable and at night practicing the steps to bands from Russia to Argentina. Camping and cheap meals. Highly recommended festival.
National Holidays
- 1 January: New Year's Day
- 25 April: Dia da Liberdade (Liberty Day)
- 1 May: Dia do Trabalhador (Labour Day)
- 10 June: Day of Portugal (Luis Camões)
- 15 August: Assumption
- 5 October: Foundation of the Republic
- 1 November: All Saints Day (Day of the Dead)
- 1 December: Independence Day
- 8 December: Immaculate Conception
- 25 December: Christmas Day
Local festivals
For a comprehensive list of dates and details of all the festivals in Portugal Click here
Lisbon Festas dos Santos Populares 12-30 June
Lisbon celebrates the Festas dos Santos Populares (Feast Days of the Popular Saints) by decorating the city. Barely a street escapes as paper lanterns, streamers and coloured lights are hung from balconies and railings. As a symbol of affection people present each other with little pots of basil and paper carnations on which they write poems to each other. There are parades in each district and everywhere there is music and dancing. In the evening make your way up to the Alfama, where sardines are grilled outside the houses and the narrow streets fill with people in the party mood. There is a big parade on the night of the 12 June for St Antonio which makes its way along the Avenida da Liberdade. The old quarters of Alfama and Mouraria are particularly busy and celebrations continue until dawn. The people of Portugal have a saint for every event and eventuality. Each village has their own patron saint and a day which is set aside each year to honour him or her, always celebrated with gusto. No one works, and the partying, music, dancing and eating can go on for up to a week.
Portuguese Markets
Every town has a market at least once a week, Coimbra every day. Traditionally for the Portuguese it's where they do most of their shopping and socializing. You can buy locally-grown fruit and vegetables, fresh meat and fish, traditional crafts and clothes at a very good price. Alongside the local vendors, a large number of the stalls are run by Gypsies selling mainly clothes at a very reasonable price but be careful as they are often seconds.
Unlike Britain, Portugal has little in the way of a second-hand markets. On a Sunday morning In Lisbon (not far from the castle) there is the Feira da Ladra (thieves' market) where you can find secondhand goods and antiques. Definitely worth a visit if you like oddities.
 |
Markets in the Central Portugal area:
|
Once a month (usually the last Sunday) There is an alternative market in Foz de Arouce mainly run by foreigners where you have the chance to buy organically grown produce, alternative medicine, and crafts.
One of the biggest markets in Central Portugal takes place in Espinho (20km south of Porto) on a Monday morning.
