The Feast of Saint Bartholomew is still going ahead but in a different way

Summer means festivities and pilgrimage, but most of these events had to be cancelled due to the ongoing pandemic. Still, following all the preventive pandemic measures, Porto will honour St Bartholomew, the Patron Saint of great miracles with a small scale paper parade, on 23rd August, to mark this tradition in Foz do Douro. 

The centenary feast of Saint Bartholomew in Foz do Douro, in Porto is still happening and it will follow a different format, this year, adjusted to the current public health measures that need to be taken.

The traditional parade of paper costumes will go ahead, although in a reduced format, much at the request of the population, on 23rd August, at 11am. The preparation of the costume parade normally involves the work of hundreds of people from local communities, of the Union of parishes of Aldoar, Foz do Douro e Nevogilde. However, this year, the parade is organised by the Resident's Association of Aldoar, the Bairro Social da Pasteleira and the Orfeão da Foz do Douro.

In a statement to JN newspaper, the president of the Union of Parishes of Aldoar, Foz do Douro e Nevogilde, Nuno Ortigão, explains that the costumes manufacturing "only started early June" due to the fact that the "dressmakers are older people and their safety needed to be safeguarded".

The parade departs from the Cantareira area to Foz do Douro, all the way through Passeio Alegre, Foz Velha, some areas of Avenida Brasil, the Coronel Raúl Peres and São Bartholomew streets and then to the ocean, at Praia do Ourigo. This year, only a small group of people will parade the paper costumes and keep the tradition alive.

In addition, the Fort of S. João Baptista will display many costumes from former parades and feasts related to the theme of the 200 years of the Liberal Revolution in Porto.

The V Market of Saint Bartholomew is open from 14th August till 16th August, at the Jardim do Passeio Alegre, between 10am and 7pm. The market will open again, on 22nd and 23rd August and on 29th and 30th August, following the same operating hours as in previous weekends.

Both events - the parade and the market - require mandatory use of face masks.