New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
There are 102 years of tradition packed into the 2016 Feast of the Blessed Sacrament, and this year’s event is now less than 100 days away. Saying it’s just around the corner rings true in more than one way. As New England’s largest ethnic celebration and a true community event held every summer in heart of New Bedford’s north end in the days leading up to the first Sunday in August, the Portuguese Feast (as it is commonly known) brings four days of fun, entertainment and the pride of one’s heritage to families throughout the region. This year’s Feast, already nine months in the planning, is shaping up to be the best ever and comes with a few changes.
First, this year’s expanded entertainment schedule has something for everyone. Five stages of entertainment will be presenting the finest in national and local music. To kick things off, Thursday night will feature the national recording artist “Tonic”. On Friday night, “Living On A Bad Name”, the area’s much-celebrated Bon Jovi tribute band, will rock the main stage. Saturday will feature an evening of Portuguese music with the world-renowned “Nelia Moreira”. Sunday is Country & Western night with “Kristen Merlin” from the popular TV Show ‘The Voice’. There are many other performances lined up including daily performances by our own “Grupo Folclorico Madeirense”.
Every year the Feast strives to make improvements to better serve the community and make everyone’s experience at the feast a memorable one. Our neighbor, Alma Del Mar Charter School, is currently constructing a new school to be opened in the coming year on the grounds of the former Ottiwell School. The new school will be a welcome addition to the community and the city. To help facilitate construction of the school, the Feast has elected to suspend the carnival this year. Instead, the Feast is expanding Saturday afternoon Kids’ Day with more stage acts, hands on attractions, free hot dogs and fun. The Feast committee encourages everyone to come share this enjoyable time with the entire family and together with the Clube Madeirense S.S. Sacramento, sponsors of the Feast, applauds Alma Del Mar’s commitment to our community, while looking forward to the return of the carnival next year.
On the Feast grounds, the main entertainment stage has received a facelift, extending it forward and adding permanent decor to represent the Feast of the Blessed Sacrament and the Clube Madeirense S.S. Sacramento. More ticket machines and wristband machines have been purchased and installed to speed up waiting in line and allow patrons more time to have fun and enjoy the abundance of Portuguese foods.
The final undertaking this year is the installation of solar panels throughout the entire field. In keeping with our commitment to the environment, the Feast has gone “SOLAR”.
Free entertainment and the great assortment of Portuguese foods is not all. The Feast also features an annual 5K Road Race on Saturday and a spectacular parade on Sunday, as well as events at The Museum of Madeiran Heritage Café every day.
Remember to mark August 4, 5, 6 and 7 on your calendar and get ready for the 102nd Feast of the Blessed Sacrament. Please visit www.portuguesefeast.com for more information.
