Feast of The Blessed Sacrament (Annual)
If you live or have ever lived in Southeastern Massachusetts, you or someone you know has gone to or talked about “The Feast”. Now, this isn’t just any feast…..THIS is the largest Portuguese feast in the WORLD. Yes ……….you read that correctly…….THE WORLD and it runs during the first weekend in August every year.
Two Girls History Lesson: The festival was founded in 1915 by four immigrants from Madeira, both to recreate religious festivals from their homeland and to celebrate their safe arrival in the United States.
The Feast of the Blessed Sacrament (Portuguese: Festa do Santíssimo Sacramento) is an annual four-day Portuguese cultural festival held at Madeira Field in New Bedford, Massachusetts. It is recognized as the largest festival of Portuguese culture in the world and the largest ethnic festival in New England. It is organized by the Clube Madeirense S.S. Sacramento.
You can read more about it’s history here: https://destinationnewbedford.org/event/106th-feast-of-the-blessed-sacrament/
Now that you have some background on the feast I must admit that I never went to the Feast as a kid or throughout my teenage or young adult years. I honestly didn’t know much about it, and didn’t think it would really be of interest to me………or so I thought! 🙂
What many people don’t know is that the Feast is run completely by volunteers and this is where it all begins for me. Back in 2003 my friend Sue asked me if I wanted to volunteer because they were struggling to find people. Sue’s is of Madeiran heritage and her father ( Francisco Figueira # 251) was a Festeiro back in 1951 as well as some time in the 70’s ,80’s 90’s and early 2000’s so Sue has been very involved in the feast for decades. You may be asking what the heck is a Festeiro?? They are club members that pay dues, have a mother or father with Madeiran roots, and were chosen to serve on the feast committee for that given year.
I told Sue that I would go for one night to help out and the rest is history….. I was immediately hooked! That year I did all 4 days ( Thursday- Sunday) and have been doing it ever since. Little did I know on that first day that volunteers eat and drink for free while they are working. Seriously???……..dreams really do come true!!!! 🙂
You don’t have to be of Madeiran descent or even Portuguese to volunteer, just willing to help out an amazing group of people and have a great time doing it!! We work in one of several wrist band booths that put on bands for those legal to drink. Two Girls Feast Tip: Be sure to have your license with you regardless of your age because we will ask to see it!! If you want to stop by and say hi, we are in the booth located directly across from the main stage near the ladies bathrooms. With that said, don’t expect to see Jessica in the booth unless you go early on Thursday. It really isn’t her thing…….even the free food doesn’t tempt her…….ya, I don’t get her sometimes either. 😉
Speaking of food…..I really should get to the good stuff. If you love Portuguese food or have never tried it, this is the place to make that happen. While the feast does serve American fare such as hot dogs, hamburgers and fries, people flock come for the Rabbit, Malassadas (fried dough), Favas (beans) Linguica (Portuguese sausage) Milho Frito ( corn sticks), Bolo De Caco( stone bread), Baccalau, (codfish) and Carne d’ Espeto ( marinated meat). Speaking of the Carne d’ Espeto, people flock to the gigantic fire pit on the feast grounds to cook up their meat just the way they like it. Many of them bring their own vegetables and bread to go along with the meat. It really is a site to see!!!
Along with various alcoholic beverages and non alcoholic beverages the feast is also well known for the Madeira wine imported in casks from Madeira through an agreement with the Madeiran government. When the wine arrives they say that “The Angels” have arrived. It is an extremely strong wine so tread lightly…. I’m told it sneaks up on you and can hit you hard.
Other feast highlights include: 4 days of free live entertainment on 4 stages, Carnival, Parade ( Sunday), Road Race ( Sunday), Family and Kids Day ( Saturday afternoon).
The Grupo Folclorico is also a highlight for many feast patrons. The group sings, plays and dances traditional music of the Madeiran culture adorned in the traditional Folclorico dress. Much credit goes to this group as their attire is made completely if wool! Can you imagine putting that on in the heat and humidity??? They look and sound fantastic!!!!
The Feast will host its annual parade on Sunday, in the City of New Bedford. The parade will start at 2p.m. Over forty different organizations will march the one mile route from Brooklawn Park to the Feast grounds at Madeira Field. Get your spot early because the parade route fills up quickly.
For the crowd that wants to enjoy the feast in a more quiet setting, the Museum Cafe’ is the place to be. Located in the cobblestone courtyard just south of the building, the Cafe’ serves wine, cool drinks, espresso and cappuccino. Quiet Madeiran and other music create a calming atmosphere where conversation is easy at comfortable bistro style tables. Renowned local Fado singers also grace the Cafe’ with their talents, truly immersing you into the Madeiran culture.
For a true timeline of the Madeiran culture take a stroll through the Museum of Madeiran Heritage then head to the Cafe’ for a night cap and some entertainment.
If these images intimidate you or you just aren’t a fan of large crowds here’s a piece of advice: The afternoons are your best time to head to the feast grounds even on the weekend. Once 7:00 hits, the younger crowd comes in and it gets packed pretty quickly. With that said, if you’ve never been don’t allow stories of decades past scare you away. The NBPD and surrounding law enforcement agencies, along with the feast committee do an amazing job of keeping everyone safe. BACKPACKS AND DOGS ARE NOT ALLOWED ON FEAST GROUNDS!!
With 2 years off thanks to Covid, I’m looking so forward to seeing our feast regulars that come from all over the world year after year to get their wristbands from us……and of course….THE FOOD! 4 days of eating as much as I want, whenever I want is just about as good as it gets!!!
In all seriousness, come by and support this great club and what they do for the community. Oh….and don’t forget to come by and say hi to one of the spooning girls……ME!!!
**The first 5 people that say hello and mention this blog post will get a drink of their choice on me!**
Happy Spooning and Boas Festas!
Sara and Jess 🙂