The Chocalhos em Alpedrinha festival takes place between September 18 and 20, 2026 in the village of the municipality of Fundão, celebrating the ancestral routes of shepherds who crossed Beira Baixa. The initiative evokes the secular cycle in which cattle left the summer pastures in Serra da Estrela heading to the milder fields of Idanha-a-Nova, anticipating the first autumn breezes, before returning with spring. The official opening is scheduled for September 18 at 6:00 PM.
On Friday, the activities kick off at 2:00 PM with the opening of the Bardo enclosure at Terreiro de Santo António, followed by community school initiatives. From 6:00 PM, transhumant entertainment mobilizes Alpedrinha's Zabumbas, Sons da Serra, Trupe Chocalheira and concertina bands, culminating the night near the Church Matriz with a procession and fire spectacle at 10:00 PM.
On Saturday, the program includes the opening of the sound installation "RE-SONÂNCIA" at Palácio do Picadeiro, a mountain hike through Serra da Gardunha dedicated to aromatic flora and practical workshops at Casa dos Ofícios. Terreiro de Santo António hosts the 10th Specialized Canine Exhibition of Herding Dogs, the António Nogueira Lourenço Canine Exhibition dedicated to the Serra da Estrela Dog and the 14th Specialized Exhibition of Livestock Protection Dogs. The XIII Drum Encounter brings together 10 delegations, followed by a concert by Sebastião Antunes & Quadrilha and the multimedia projection "TRAVESSIA" at midnight.
The highlight occurs on Sunday with the walking trail that recreates actual transhumance, departing at 8:00 AM from Fundão towards Alpedrinha with cattle driven by the Chocalheiros de Vila Verde de Ficalho. The arrival of the animals is expected at 11:30 AM, coinciding with the Bio Eco Market. The afternoon includes herding demonstrations, ethnographic presentations by the Adufeiras do Paul and Idanha-a-Nova, and the Parade and Pastoral Folk Festival at 5:00 PM, closing with the performance of the group "Musicalbi" at 9:00 PM.
