The April showers should be over by now so let the good times roll into a May filled with sunshine and the promise of a long, hot summer. Mind you, the rain has done my garden the world of good; the bottle brush has outdone itself with its fiery red blooms, the magnolia tree has its first stunning blossom – the scent is simply divine and the roses are up and just magnificent. So what else is happening this month?
A good start to the month
The 1st May is of course May Day and is a public holiday here in Portugal so we all know that means picnics, parties and fun throughout the Algarve. Check out your local Junta de Freguesia (Parish Council) to see what’s going on in your neck of the woods, it’s bound to be fun whatever it is.
The annual Festa da Pinha (Festival of the Pine Cone) is on Friday 2nd May and once again the parade of horseback riders and flower covered wagons will go from Estoi to Ludo (making refreshment stops at all the tavernas along the way). There they will have their grelhados (BBQs) and return via Santa Bárbara de Nexe in the evening. They will be cheered and encouraged all the way there and back! This will be followed by music, dancing and fireworks in Estoi, for those who can still stand up. Viva la Pinha!
All that Jazz
Celebrating International Jazz Day, which falls on 30th April this year.
The Lethes Theatre in Faro is hosting Jazz Friday on 2nd May starting at 9.30pm with tickets going for €8. Call 289 878 908 to find out more.
Then on the 3rd May, the Teatro Macarenhas Gregorio in Silves presents a concert by the Jazz Orchestra of the Algarve. The show starts at 9.30pm, with tickets costing €6. For bookings call 913 469 025.
Figuras Theatre in Faro is hosting American Jazz Music on 11th May at 6pm. Tickets cost €8 per person.
The Jazz Club of Friends of the Museum (Museu do Trajo) in São Brás de Alportel introduce “Low Tech Groove” on Sunday 18th May and Friday 23rd May at 5pm. After each concert, amateur musicians will be invited to join the Trio in a “jamming” session. This promises to be a fun time for all you jazz enthusiasts. Tickets cost €10 each and €8 for Friends of the Museum. To find out more about these events and more jazz concerts at the Museum phone 966 329 073.
Every Friday night in Boliqueime the Lounge Bar holds a live “jamming” jazz session, where new artists are welcome to join in. For details call 289 369 004.
For Sunday lunch with a difference, why not try Quinteto Da Forteleza in Luz, featuring a live jazz band and a BBQ and buffet. From 12.30 to 3pm you can enjoy a relaxing lunch on the lawn while listening to your favourite jazz music. Call 282 789 926 for more information.
Not Jazz but Blues now. On 23rd and 24th May, Faro’s Lethes Teatre is putting on their first Blues Festival. Tickets are €8 for one day or €12 for both days. 289 897 250 is the number to call to book your tickets and to find out more.
Who done it?
Set in the 1920s, The Shooting Partyis a hilarious play of a typical murder mystery. The Aperitivo Theatre Group is staging this “Oh so very English” farce in four venues across the Algarve, so everybody can enjoy a good night’s entertainment with dinner.
Friday 23rd May, Holiday Inn Algarve, Armação de Pêra
Saturday 24th May, Casa do Povo, Moncarapacho
Friday 30th May, Casa Velha, Tavira
Saturday 31st May, Museum, São Brás
To find out more or to make a booking go to: [email protected]or call 967 227 473
Festa Grande
Hundreds, if not thousands, will gather in Loulé for the Festival of the Sovereign Mother (Festa da Mãe Soberana) on the 4th May, where the largest religious procession in the Algarve takes place. The Festa Grande begins at 10am and doesn’t finish until midnight.
It started on Easter Sunday with the Festa Pequena, when the iconic statue was brought down from its sanctuary to the Church of São Francisco; Festa Grande is on the 4th of May, when the statue is once more returned to its shrine, where it will remain until the following Easter. During the two weeks, the statue is in the Church of São Francisco in the town centre; many vigils, pilgrimages and sermons will take place.
Fairs
Azinhal, in the county of Castro Marim, is holding its 7th Land of May Fair from 9th to 11th May. This is a demonstration of what the land gives us and what can be done with the produce we receive from the land. Featuring agriculture and livestock, as well as how a cheese factory operates. Traditional skills of the area are also displayed, such as bobbin lace, basket weaving, tapestry and embroidery. This will all take place in the Centro Multiuso in the town’s centre.
A Day Out for Charity
AAPA (the Association for the Protection of Animals) is holding a Spring Fair from 12.30pm to 4pm on the 10th May. There will be stalls selling homemade jams, chutney and marmalade, as well as handmade cakes, handmade cards, plants and much, much more. Light lunches and drinks will be available too. This is a fun day out for the whole family and all proceeds will go to AAPA. Set in the gardens of Alan and Pat’s house in Armação de Pěra, entry is free. For directions and more information contact Alan on 918 550 355 or go to [email protected]
How about spending a day in the Alentejo, enjoying a guided tour of the Ethnographic Museum of Vidigueira, tasting wine at a local Adega, with a typical Alentejo lunch thrown in? Well, the Costume Museum in São Brás is organising just such a day trip. From 8.30am to 8.30pm on Thursday 8th May, you can enjoy all of the above for €45 per person. Find out more and book your tickets now on 966 329 073. Boa Viagem! .
Phew, this is just a précis of all the goings on in the Algarve for May; it looks like a busy month is ahead of us, with much to celebrate. However for a complete guide to annual festivals, markets and fairs, take a look at Meravista’s information pages and then you will see what busy really is!
Brought to you by Meravista – the place where smart people search for Algarve property for sale.
Things to do in the Algarve for May 2014
by Sun’s Dragon
The April showers should be over by now so let the good times roll into a May filled with sunshine and the promise of a long, hot summer. Mind you, the rain has done my garden the world of good; the bottle brush has outdone itself with its fiery red blooms, the magnolia tree has its first stunning blossom – the scent is simply divine and the roses are up and just magnificent. So what else is happening this month?
A good start to the month
The 1st May is of course May Day and is a public holiday here in Portugal so we all know that means picnics, parties and fun throughout the Algarve. Check out your local Junta de Freguesia (Parish Council) to see what’s going on in your neck of the woods, it’s bound to be fun whatever it is.
All that Jazz
The Lethes Theatre in Faro is hosting Jazz Friday on 2nd May starting at 9.30pm with tickets going for €8. Call 289 878 908 to find out more.
Then on the 3rd May, the Teatro Macarenhas Gregorio in Silves presents a concert by the Jazz Orchestra of the Algarve. The show starts at 9.30pm, with tickets costing €6. For bookings call 913 469 025.
Figuras Theatre in Faro is hosting American Jazz Music on 11th May at 6pm. Tickets cost €8 per person.
The Jazz Club of Friends of the Museum (Museu do Trajo) in São Brás de Alportel introduce “Low Tech Groove” on Sunday 18th May and Friday 23rd May at 5pm. After each concert, amateur musicians will be invited to join the Trio in a “jamming” session. This promises to be a fun time for all you jazz enthusiasts. Tickets cost €10 each and €8 for Friends of the Museum. To find out more about these events and more jazz concerts at the Museum phone 966 329 073.
For Sunday lunch with a difference, why not try Quinteto Da Forteleza in Luz, featuring a live jazz band and a BBQ and buffet. From 12.30 to 3pm you can enjoy a relaxing lunch on the lawn while listening to your favourite jazz music. Call 282 789 926 for more information.
Not Jazz but Blues now. On 23rd and 24th May, Faro’s Lethes Teatre is putting on their first Blues Festival. Tickets are €8 for one day or €12 for both days. 289 897 250 is the number to call to book your tickets and to find out more.
Who done it?
Set in the 1920s, The Shooting Party is a hilarious play of a typical murder mystery. The Aperitivo Theatre Group is staging this “Oh so very English” farce in four venues across the Algarve, so everybody can enjoy a good night’s entertainment with dinner.
Friday 23rd May, Holiday Inn Algarve, Armação de Pêra
Saturday 24th May, Casa do Povo, Moncarapacho
Friday 30th May, Casa Velha, Tavira
Saturday 31st May, Museum, São Brás
To find out more or to make a booking go to: [email protected] or call 967 227 473
Festa Grande
Hundreds, if not thousands, will gather in Loulé for the Festival of the Sovereign Mother (Festa da Mãe Soberana) on the 4th May, where the largest religious procession in the Algarve takes place. The Festa Grande begins at 10am and doesn’t finish until midnight.
It started on Easter Sunday with the Festa Pequena, when the iconic statue was brought down from its sanctuary to the Church of São Francisco; Festa Grande is on the 4th of May, when the statue is once more returned to its shrine, where it will remain until the following Easter. During the two weeks, the statue is in the Church of São Francisco in the town centre; many vigils, pilgrimages and sermons will take place.
Fairs
Azinhal, in the county of Castro Marim, is holding its 7th Land of May Fair from 9th to 11th May. This is a demonstration of what the land gives us and what can be done with the produce we receive from the land. Featuring agriculture and livestock, as well as how a cheese factory operates. Traditional skills of the area are also displayed, such as bobbin lace, basket weaving, tapestry and embroidery. This will all take place in the Centro Multiuso in the town’s centre.
A Day Out for Charity
AAPA (the Association for the Protection of Animals) is holding a Spring Fair from 12.30pm to 4pm on the 10th May. There will be stalls selling homemade jams, chutney and marmalade, as well as handmade cakes, handmade cards, plants and much, much more. Light lunches and drinks will be available too. This is a fun day out for the whole family and all proceeds will go to AAPA. Set in the gardens of Alan and Pat’s house in Armação de Pěra, entry is free. For directions and more information contact Alan on 918 550 355 or go to
[email protected]
.
Phew, this is just a précis of all the goings on in the Algarve for May; it looks like a busy month is ahead of us, with much to celebrate. However for a complete guide to annual festivals, markets and fairs, take a look at Meravista’s information pages and then you will see what busy really is!
Brought to you by Meravista – the place where smart people search for Algarve property for sale.