The 29th Brazilian Independence Day Festival

On August 18, 2024, in Latest News, by The Somerville Times

This is the largest Brazilian cultural event in New England, and is organized by the community for the community with a lot of help from volunteers. This year, the festivities will be held from September 3rd to the 8th, and there will be plenty of activity. Massachusetts is home to one of the largest and most organized Brazilian communities in the United States.

The event celebrates the language, history, and culture of the Brazilian people, platforming local Brazilian artists to display and sell their wares, and for Brazilian chefs and bakers, giving Brazilians a taste of home, and others an introduction into the wonder of Brazilian cuisine. Priority is given to small home-based businesses, artists who live and work in and around Boston, and entrepreneurs who make crafts or sell clothing.

The Festival welcomes more than 60 organizations to disseminate information and resources to the community. These organizations represent health, immigration, citizenship and voter registration, school enrollment, and much more. The Festival is organized by the Brazilian Women’s Group in partnership with the Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers (MAPS) and the Consulate General of Brazil in Boston.

This year, we will raise the Brazilian flag at Somerville City Hall on Thursday, September 5, at noon, and at Boston City Hall on Friday, September 6, at 10:00 a.m. The center point of the week is our outdoor Festival in Herter Park in Brighton on Sunday, September 8 from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. Alongside food and craft vendors, the afternoon will feature face painting, pony rides, children’s storytelling, and live performances.  The Science Museum will be donating tickets and exhibiting special attractions from its collection, the New England and the Boston Red Sox will donate items to our raffle, includes two round-trip tickets Brazil. For just $10, these prizes may be yours.

Inspired by the decades old tradition of street ‘blocos’, our festival will open with a parade led by local Brazilian percussion group Grooversity, where all will be invited to dance with us. After the performance of Brazil’s national anthem, the celebration will heat up with samba by Armengue Group, Brazilian martial art Capoeira with Mestre Chuvisco, Forró dancing with Let’s Vamos and Tarciso Alves, and Frevo dance and music with Piéra Verin and Andre Simões.

Between performances, sample the famous Brazilian cuisine, such as “churrasco” barbecue, acarajé, churros, sugarcane juice, and much more. You can’t miss it.

We are still looking for people who want to sell food, crafts or promote their businesses. Contact us via WhatsApp 617-202-5775 if interested.

— Brazilian Women’s Group

 

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