Boston Portuguese Festival Day of Portugal Parade in Cambridge and Somerville, MA

Cambridge Street was closed to traffic on Saturday, June 17th, from Inman Square to Cardinal Medeiros Avenue, for the Portugal Day Parade. The Portuguese communities in Boston’s Consular Area got together to celebrate the 12th annual  Portugal Day Parade organized by the Boston Portuguese Festival. This year the Parade was on Saturday, June 17th, due to the Saint Anthony’s procession on Sunday. The Parade started at 4.30 pm at Portuguese Square on Concord Avenue In Somerville where the organizers assembled many floats from different organizations including the Saint Anthony Portuguese Philharmonic band and folkloric groups. The parade featured various Portuguese groups from different cities as well as the participation of many spectators along the streets. Many were dressed in the Portuguese colors and applauded as the beautiful floats went by. The Honor Guard from the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office led the parade this year. They were followed by a group of prominent members of the Portuguese community including Dr. Jose Velez Caroço, Consul General of Portugal in Boston, Dr. João Caixinha, Deputy Coordinator for the Portuguese Language Programs and Education Affairs in the United States of America, Paulo Martins, Counselor for the Portuguese Communities in New England,, and the President of the Boston Portuguese Festival, Liliana de Sousa.         This year’s parade had the participation of the Philharmonic Band of Saint Anthony in Cambridge, the Folkloric group “Rancho Corações Lusiadas” from Cambridge, as well as various Portuguese Community Schools from Hudson, Peabody, Cambridge & Somerville along with the Olá Program from the King Open School in Cambridge.  Organizations like (MAPS) Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers, (LAEF) Luso-American Education Foundation, Casa do Benfica in New England, (PAPS) Portuguese American Pos-Graduate Society, Portugalia Restaurant, Naveo Credit Union, and the East Cambridge Savings Bank also participated in the event.

The Cambridge Police and the Cambridge Department of Public Works did an excellent job diverting traffic and providing appropriate security to the parade participants and spectators.  

At the end of the Parade, Ana DaSilva sang the national anthems of Portugal and United States accompanied by the Philharmonic Band of Saint Anthony in Cambridge. The event ended with the performance of Rancho Folclorico Corações Lusiadas from Cambridge.

[accordions] [accordion title=”Boston Portuguese Festival” load=”hide”]The Boston Portuguese Festival aims at contributing to the dissemination of the Portuguese culture and heritage in the capital city of Massachusetts, combining its contributions of the past with its contemporary manifestations. The purpose of the BPF is to provide a framework where all interested parties may unite and channel their efforts in promoting Portugal and its culture, not only to the Portuguese-American public but also to the American community at large. Our annual program brings to the Greater Boston area a showcase of the most expressive components of Portuguese culture and present-day reality, namely in the fields of Literature, Music, Cinema, History & Current Affairs, Science & Technology and Heritage Source: Boston Portuguese Festival[/accordion] [/accordions]