The New Bedford Day of Portugal celebration is turning a new chapter as its festival opens June 13 in a new location: the Madeira Field.
“We are celebrating in a new venue, with renewed hope that the festival can grow again and earn the place it deserves in the heart of our city. I truly believe this can be a new phase, stronger and more united, if we all pull together,” said Dulce Matos, the New Bedford Day of Portugal Committee president during the Portuguese flag raising ceremony held at City Hall on June 12.
The festival will feature a weekend jam-packed with delicious Portuguese fare, live music, folklore performances and traditional crafts.
“It’s everyone’s celebration and the more united we are, the more beautiful and meaningful it will be,” Matos said. “I’m counting on your presence, your joy and, who knows, a more active collaboration in the future. Because celebrating Portugal in New Bedford is celebrating all of us.”
Yet, for Portuguese-Americans it is much more than just a celebration, she stressed.
“It’s a reencounter with our origins, a tribute to our roots and an affirmation of who we are as a people: resilient, hardworking and deeply connected to our culture,” Matos said.
In his remarks, Consul of Portugal in New Bedford Tiago Sousa said he would like to see a regional Day of Portugal celebration.
“I hope that in the future it will be possible to join forces to create a single celebration of Portugalidade (the essence of being Portuguese),” said the consul at the flag raising ceremony. “In a time marked by so many uncertainties and conflicts, there is always one certainty that never fades: our Lusitanian roots.”
Master of Ceremonies Ricardo Farias said the move to Madeira Field is a good start.
“Throughout the past few years, there have been a lot of experiments, but I truly do believe that this will be the solution,” he said. “As a Portuguese American who lives in the area, I truly want to see this festival survive… we would like this festival to once again become one of the best Day of Portugal celebrations not only in Massachusetts but also in New England and the United States of the America.”
When is New Bedford’s Day of Portugal Festival?
The Day of Portugal festival, a Portuguese-style street arraial, will kick-off June 13 at 6:30 p.m., after a short parade that will depart from the Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church on Earle Street making its way towards Madeira Field, where a ribbon cutting ceremony and a brief speaking program featuring elected officials and members of the Day of Portugal Committee will take place.
Food booths will open shortly after.
“We’re excited to offer delicious Portuguese food, from fresh-grilled sardines to malassadas. This year, we’ll also be serving goat and barbecued chicken,” Matos said. “We’re blending tradition with convenience and creating a space where everyone feels at home.”
When can you visit the New Bedford Day of Portugal Festival?
The New Bedford Day of Portugal Festival hours of operation are as follows:
- Friday, June 13: 6:30 p.m. to 11:30 pm.
- Saturday, June 14: 1 p.m. to 11:30 pm.
- Sunday, June 14: 1 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Who will be performing at the 2025 New Bedford Day of Portugal celebration?
On Friday, June 13, live entertainment will be provided from 8 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Singer Michele Pereira will take the stage at 8 p.m. and Boston-based rock band Eratóxica at 9 p.m.
On Saturday, June 14, the children’s Folkloric Group of the Discovery Language Academy of New Bedford will perform at 6 p.m. Singer Aristides Romeiro will take the stage at 7 p.m. Starlight band from Canada will wrap up the evening, taking the stage at 9 p.m.
On Sunday, the afternoon will be filled with performances by the Azorean Cultural Society Folklore Group at 5 p.m. and the Recordações de Portugal Folkloric Group of New Bedford at 6 p.m.
Connecticut- based Intensity band will take the stage at 8 p.m. and bring the celebration to an end.
Portuguese contributions highlighted at Portuguese flag raising ceremony
The New Bedford Day of Portugal celebration kicked off on June 12, with the raising of the Portuguese flag at New Bedford City Hall, a mini-concert by Boston-based So Alma band at the New Bedford Public Library and a performance by the Discovery Language Academy Folklore Group outside of City Hall.
Speaking on behalf of New Bedford City Council at the flag raising ceremony, Councilor Ryan Pereira said this celebration is very special for all Portuguese-Americans like him.
“Whether it’s our parents or grandparents who have immigrated here to start a new life in New Bedford, we have a lot to be thankful for – we’re thankful for the city that has given us an opportunity and welcomed us, thankful for the community, and our community in particular, who continues the traditions of our culture… thank you all for your contributions and helping build our community,” Pereira said. “It’s important we remain together and united, especially as the generations go on, and that our traditions are passed forward to future generations… our language, our culture… it’s important to keep these things so that we may remember always where we come from and give thanks to those who came before us.”
Rep. António F. D. Cabral, who also spoke on behalf of Representatives Christopher Hendricks, Mark Sylvia and Steven Ouellette present at the event, reminded everyone that June 10 is not only the official Day of Portugal, but also of poet Luís de Camões and the Portuguese Communities.
“Everybody likes to celebrate Portugal, and we should, but I think we ought to celebrate us – the community, the Portuguese American community,” he said. “We have done a lot of work. [We should] celebrate our successes and our struggles, because those struggles and success have changed this city. We have contributed to the enhancement of this community and this state. And we know how to answer the call every time, be it to have a good time or to pay the ultimate sacrifice to defend the values and the traditions of this great country.”
For more information about the New Bedford Day of Portugal, visit https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064661320829