The Boston Portuguese Festival sponsored by the Saab Family Foundation returns to Boston’s iconic City Hall Plaza on Sunday, June 16, 2024 (12 – 8 pm).
The Festival—which brings together Greater Boston’s Portuguese-American community, residents and visitors alike—will host a program of activities for all ages. Highlights include a flag-raising ceremony, a Portuguese gastronomy pavilion, activities for children, retail vendors, and a variety of traditional and contemporary entertainment performances. City Hall Plaza is an iconic space in Boston and serves as a prime location to showcase both traditional and contemporary Portuguese customs and traditions, as well as cuisine, products and other cultural manifestations.
The BPF’s program will include a diverse entertainment program featuring local favorites ERATOXICA and Nélia. Additional performances by Luso-French artist Lucenzo, known worldwide for the hit “Danza Kuduro” and DJ and producer DJ R’AN; Saúl Ricardo from Portugal; Júlia Machado, winner of The Voice Portugal Kids and Portugal’s representative at Junior Eurovision Song Contest in 2023; and Romeu Bairos, hailing from São Miguel, Azores, who recently appeared in Netflix Portugal’s original series Turn of the Tide (Rabo de Peixe). An appearance by Ruben Pacheco Correia, TV personality and chef-owner of the award-winning Botequim Açoriano of Rabo de Peixe, São Miguel. Additional comedic entertainment by Vavó Brito. Julianne Lima, who served as host last year, will return to the stage.
A ceremonial flag-raising ceremony will open the day’s festivities and honor the accomplishments of Portuguese-Americans in the Commonwealth. The ceremony will include performances of the national anthems of the United States and Portugal by the Filarmónica de Santo António (Cambridge, MA) and Banda do Espírito Santo (Lowell, MA). The BPF’s entertainment program will also include traditional folklore performances by local groups Rancho Folclórico de Peabody (Peabody, MA) and Rancho Folclórico Recordações de Portugal (New Bedford, MA).
The organizing team has secured food vendors from across New England and beyond to showcase Portuguese cuisine, including Casa Benfica (Cambridge, MA); Avó’s Feast (Fall River, MA); Two Sisters Catering (Fall River, MA); Old School House (Hudson, MA); The Neighborhood Restaurant & Bakery (Somerville, MA) and sweets by Joey Bats (New York, NY). Additional vendors include Matilda’s, Dean’s Concessions, and Italina’s Ice Cream.
This year’s celebration, supported in part by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, aims to bring together local Portuguese-American businesses and organizations, cultural associations, recreational groups, schools and community members to honor the contributions of Portuguese-Americans to the City of Boston and across the Commonwealth. This event and all of the Boston Portuguese Festival’s events are free and open to the public. All who love Portugal or would like to learn more about the country are invited and encouraged to attend. Please view the attached poster for additional details regarding this year’s Festival..
The Festival also seeks volunteers to assist in various capacities before, during, and throughout the Festival. For more information regarding opportunities, please contact hello@bostonportuguesefestival.org or visit bostonportuguesefestival.org.
Source: Press Release | Boston Portuguese Festival
