Great Feast of the Holy Ghost

Every Sunday, Monday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday from 08/26/2010 to 08/30/2010

There’s one thing Americo Miranda, spokesperson for the Great Feast of the Holy Ghost wants people to know: The religious aspect is only one part of the four-day festival that offers an array of Portuguese culture: food, music, folk dancing, marching bands. “It’s an Azorean cultural event,” said Miranda.

The annual feast, which organizers claim is the largest celebration of Portuguese culture outside of Portugal, kicks off Thursday, Aug. 26 with the illumination of Kennedy Park at 7 p.m. and a night of live music geared towards the younger generations. Local community entertainers Group Vindos de Luz, Singers Priscilla Marie and Geana Teodoro and Donny Moisao and his group, Energia are slated for the opening night.

The free four-day festival also features an array of much-loved Portuguese food for sale including malasadas, chourico and caciola (marinated pork) sandwiches as well as barbequed sardines and barbequed chicken starting on Thursday night.

The Friday evening of culture and tradition features the folk group Ilhas de Bruma at 7 p.m. followed by the traditional follies of Folia da Santissima Trindade at 7:40 and Amigo Acoreanos at 8:30. Pezinho from Terceira Island with several singers begins at 9:30 p.m. followed by the folk group Nossa Senhora das Candeias at 10 p.m.

On Saturday, the ethnographic parade, Bodo de Leite kicks off at 10 a.m. from the Gates of the City on Ponta Delgada Boulevard and winds its way up Columbia Street and down South Main Street concluding at Kennedy Park. Miranda, host of, The Americo Miranda Show on local cable TV will join fellow cable TV host Lou Perreira on a festive float during the ethnographic parade that features folk dancing groups, marching bands from across the country and Canada, livestock, politicians and social club floats. Saturday’s folkloric festival runs from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. with groups in traditional dress performing Azorean music. The evenings festivities start at 5:30 with the Banda Filarmonica Santa Cecilia and the Band de Nossa senhor dos Andjos of New Bedford.

At 7:15 the Banda Nossa Senhora da Luz of Fall River, the band that performed when President Clinton visited the city will perform on one stage while the Portuguese Philharmonic of Montreal plays on another stage. Singer Mia will open at 8;30 for well-known singer Mauricio Morais and his band at 9:35.

The festival religious aspect is highlighted on Sunday with a Mass at noon at St. Anne’s Church presided over by Bishop George Coleman of the Fall River Diocese and Bishop Anacleto Cordeiro Goncalves Oliveira. A solemn religious procession featuring the queen of the feast, dignitaries and bands leads the event from the church to the day’s musical offerings at Kennedy Park.