"Porto will not celebrate São João, but there will be grilled sardines"

"Porto will not celebrate São João, but there will be grilled sardines", not necessarily on the eve of São João, on 23 June, as restaurants will close doors at 6 pm. In the end of May, three sites in Porto hosted travelling amusements, namely the Rotunda da Boavista, the Fontaínhas and Lordelo do Ouro, in compliance with all safety measures, under a protocol signed with Porto City Hall. This hard hit sector "can now see a light at the end of the tunnel".

This year, São João will not be celebrated in Porto, as there will not be the traditional São João Fireworks, concerts or even open restaurants, which will close doors at 6 pm. The Feast of São João is not celebrated since 2019, the last time we could smell the grilled sardines and be “hammered” in the streets (part of the tradition of the São João is to stroll the streets “hammering people with a plastic hammer” in a sign of joy and celebration). These unprecedented times led to closed doors to all events in the country and in the city of Porto.

Still, as of Saturday, 29 May and until the end of June, residents and visitors can find in Boavista, Fontainhas and in Lordelo do Ouro travelling amusements that work as true “oxygen bubbles” both for businesspeople that depend on the sector and to the people that are longing for a much needed break from the difficult lockdown times. All is done in perfect compliance with all the health conditions still in place, issued by the DGS.

This support by Porto City Hall, which has exempted businesspeople from the sector from paying the usual licenses and fees, and also provided everyday policing in the field, as well as electric infrastructure, indeed works as an “oxygen bubble” that also saves lives.

“When does the Ferris Wheel open? My son has never seen one and we came here to grant him this joy”, stated a visitor to Paulo Jorge, the president of the MEID (Associação-Movimento Empresarial Itinerante de Empresas de Diversões e Similares), the Association-Movement of Travelling Amusement companies and similar activities. Paulo Jorge enhances that the child would have been no more than two years old, his entire live almost all lived in a pandemic context. There are many examples like this; for instance, the 80 year-old gentleman that “came this weekend and stated how happy he was that he was able to safely go out and eat a “fartura” (a traditional Portuguese dessert that is a combination of funnel cake and churros and is very popular in Portugal)”, enhanced the representative of the three associations that have signed a protocol with the Municipality of Porto, and received a 200 mil euros support that will help more than 70 business people in the sector and circa six hundred direct people that are related to the sector.

“It’s like the 25 April”, reveals Paulo Jorge, “for us, this is like winning the lottery Ticket”. The entrepreneur also stated that this is not only about the economic turnover, but also about the psychological perks, as “we feel we can do something useful, not just for us, but for the society, as well, for the families that can visit us with total safety”.

And safety is the key work. Besides the municipal support, the Fun Parks follow a strict health plan issued by the DGS, which includes the fencing of the sites, the provision of alcohol gel and the taking of temperature on entry points, policing and the regular cleaning of equipment. The investment by the entrepreneurs represents circa 62 thousand euros.

Another site that hosts a Fun Park until the end of the month is Lordelo do Ouro (next to the Fluvial), and accession has also been very positive, as stated by Sérgio Peixoto, who is in charge of the Games Pavilion, namely the table football. Sérgio has been working in this sector since he was 12 years old and stresses that this support by the Municipality of Porto “means a lot to us”. “The fact that we can reopen and start working is really good. And if we had to pay the space and the licences, it would be unsustainable. With this support, it is worthwhile. We have to thank the fact that we were trusted to act accordingly”.

There is no São João, but there are sardines

The next stop by the Porto. team was the Fontainhas, where Firmino Pires runs the 80 year old family business noting that this was truly “an oxygen bubble” by Porto City Hall, the “fact that we can reopen”, following all the safety measures issued by the DGS, and “seeing that everyone is happy to see us, eager to go back to the fairs”, he added.

“I am truly happy for this opportunity that Porto City Hall granted us to reopen business”, and Firmino Pires highlights that “no doubt this will be a good month, even because “it is nice to be in the Fontainhas, and to sense the S. João, even though it is not the S. João”.

It should be noted that, unlike any other June day, when Fun Parks are open between 12 noon and 10.30 pm, the eve of S. João, on 23 June, Fun Parks close at 6 pm. There will not be S. João, in the traditional sense of the concept, but there will always be sardines. The insurance comes from Adelaide Gomes, the owner of the travelling restaurant in Fontainhas. “People are always attracted to sardines, to the caldo verde and to the farturas”, she stated and expressed how happy she felt when “I was told I could open my restaurant, here in my town and in the month of the São João”.

The businesswoman also affirms that in addition to the economic help, the reopening will also help to cope psychologically. “People are really affected when they have to stay home. Work is also a distraction, one does not think of illnesses only”. “Porto City Hall was fearless, from the start”, she stressed.