Feiras Novas kick off this Wednesday, September 9th, in Ponte de Lima, running until Monday, the 14th. The Minho village prepares for six days of celebration, tradition, and popular culture, with a program that includes concertinas, folklore, cantares ao desafio, marching bands, processions, gastronomy, and traditional rusgas.
Considered the biggest live congress of popular culture in Portugal, Feiras Novas is one of the most important cultural and festive manifestations in the country, attracting thousands of visitors every year. Celebrated in honor of Our Lady of Sorrows, they are officially recognized as National Intangible Cultural Heritage.
The official opening happens on Wednesday, with the Arruada de Concertinas (concertina parade) and the Municipal Concertina Meeting at 9:30 PM, followed by the lighting ceremony at 10:30 PM. The program continues throughout the week with the Bagpipe Festival, cantares ao desafio with Os Amigos do Cachadinha, a Coimbra fado show, tunas (student music groups), the Livestock Show, Ethnographic Procession, Night of Fire, Zés Pereiras (traditional percussion groups), gigantones (giant figures), Historical Procession, bullfighting, and the Limiano Folklore Festival.
The celebrations end on Monday with religious solemnities in honor of Our Lady of Sorrows, including solemn mass, vespers, procession, and farewell to the bands. For six days, Ponte de Lima transforms into a stage for manifestations that are part of Minho's cultural identity, maintaining the connection between tradition and popular participation.
