São João Festival | Latest edition records more visitors than ever before

The annual São João festivities were held over the weekend in the St. Lazarus district, welcoming hundreds of locals and tourists alike to socialize and sample traditional and authentic Portuguese products.

The festival, now in its 11th edition since the restart of a centuries-old tradition, is a cherished event in the city where some of the best of Portuguese folklore music, food and drinks are on offer.

Those the Times interviewed were in agreement that this year was busier than last, even though the 2016 edition had had an unprecedented number of visitors and stall operators.

“The number of visitors is increasing every year. My indication of this is that every year the [vendors] are increasing the quantity of products on offer,” said Maria Amélia António, president of the House of Portugal (Casa de Portugal) Association, one of the event’s main organizers. “On Saturday night, many of them told me that they had sold out.”

“I can feel more people this year [at the festival],” said Paulo Reis, a teacher at the House of Portugal. “Yesterday was full of people; today not so many, but still more than [the same day] last year.”

In total, there appeared to be around two dozen stalls and as many as 200 people across several streets of the St. Lazarus district by the late afternoon yesterday.

The House of Portugal teacher was managing a stall displaying and selling his ceramic works. His intention was to first and foremost to provide a place for his artworks to be seen, but he also sees the festival as a good opportunity to recruit more students for his class.

“I am selling some pieces, but my [priority] is to show my work to everybody,” Reis told the Times. “We can show [artwork] everywhere; not only in galleries and museums.”

Another vendor, Vânia Vieira, who was overseeing a stall affiliated with Portuguese shop, Mercearia Portuguesa, said it was “very nice to have the community come together like this. It’s a very traditional summer party in Portugal.”

They have been running a stall for about four years said Vieira, and offer products sourced from Portugal such as coffee, Madeira cake, sardines, Ginjinha (cherry liqueur) and pumpkin, tomato and other flavored jams.

This year’s edition was nearly cancelled due to a disagreement between the organizers and the Transport Bureau (DSAT). Eventually, the negotiations were set back on track and the festival was given the green light earlier this month.

What could not be negotiated, however, was the closing time of 10 p.m., which is enforced by local authorities so as to respect a law on noise control in the district.

“For the Saturday, it doesn’t justify such an early [closing] time. It is not a high-density residential area,” said António. “The few people that live in that area will not be disturbed. I met some of the people who live there and they are very [appreciative] of the festival. They told me, ‘For one day of the year I can see people happy and enjoying themselves in this neighborhood.’”