Portugal Day Festival in Newark facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Portugal Day Festival |
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| Genre | Cultural |
| Dates | June 8th, 9th and 10th, Portugal Day |
| Location(s) |  Ferry Street in Newark, New Jersey |
| Years active | 46 years |
| Founded | 1979 |
| Patron(s) | Luís de Camões |
| Website | [1] |
The Portugal Day Festival in Newark, New Jersey is a big street party. It celebrates the Portuguese people, their language, and their amazing culture. This festival started way back in 1979.
It was first organized by the Bernardino Coutinho Foundation. Since 2010, the Union of Portuguese American Clubs of New Jersey (UCLANJ) has taken over. This group is also known as União de Clubes Luso-Americanos de New Jersey.
The main street festival usually happens on the weekend closest to June 10. This date is special because it's the official Portugal Day. Many other fun events happen in the week before the main festival. Since 2015, a non-profit group called Portugal Day Newark has run the festival. Over 750,000 people come to Ferry Street in the Ironbound area for this exciting event!
The festival took a break in 2020.
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Planning the Portugal Day Festival
It takes many months to plan the Portugal Day Festival. Organizers invite special guests to be part of the celebration. These guests might be a Grand Marshal or an Honorary Grand Marshal. They are important people who lead the parade and other events.
Before the big weekend, there are many other activities. For example, there's a "Friendship Night Gala." These events bring the Portuguese community together.
Watching the Festival on TV
The Portugal Day Festival is so popular that it's often shown on TV. You can watch it live or recorded. It's broadcast on stations in New Jersey. It's also shown in Portugal and other Portuguese-speaking countries. This includes countries in Africa and South America.
Portugal Day Races
The Portugal Day Races are a fun part of the festival. They happen every year on Sunday morning. This is just before the big parade. Runners and walkers, both Portuguese and non-Portuguese, join in. They race through the historic Ironbound section of Newark. It's a great way to celebrate Portuguese-American culture.
The race began in 1979. It was started by Manuel Parente. For many years, Domingos Cravo directed the races. The Lar Dos Leos (Den of Lions) group has always organized these races. To honor Manuel Parente and Domingos Cravo, two races are named after them. These are the "Cravo Kid Dash" and the "Parente Mile."
The 5k race is now called the "Jack Casimiro 5k." This honors Jack Casimiro, who supported the races for a long time. Today, the Lar Dos Leos (Den of Lions) still organizes the race. Carlos Martins is the longtime race director.
The Portugal Day Parade
On the Sunday of the festival weekend, there is a large parade. Many colorful floats are part of the parade. These floats represent different groups from all over the state. Some are Portuguese organizations, and some are not.
Every year, special people lead the parade. These include an Honorary Grand Marshal and a Grand Marshal. Many other important people also take part in the parade.
