Espinho's weekly fair, considered the largest in the country, is losing the sparkle of past times. The month of August, traditionally one of the busiest, still attracts emigrants, but many simply stroll, take photographs and buy some traditional agricultural products, without contributing significantly to sales.
Despite the good weather recorded during most of the month, sales fell below expectations. The rain that fell on August 24 particularly harmed commercial activity that day.
Ricardo Fonseca, a seller of lupin beans and olives for over 40 years, acknowledges that the current reality is very far from what he knew when he started his business. The trader points to large commercial retail chains as one of the main causes for the decline in fair sales.
