Food, glorious food! A foodie could truly eat their heart out in Portugal all year long. There are foodie events going on somewhere in the country practically every weekend – celebrating everything from the local sausage to the local soup. Today, we highlight what’s on for August! If you consider yourself more of a food person than a beach person, get ready to stuff yourself silly this August in Portugal!
Sines Tasquinhas Food Festival
When – July 12 – August 3, 2024
Where – Sines (2 hours from Lisbon)
Maybe you’ve already visited the Sines Tasquinhas Food Festival because it started on July 12! Fortunately for us, it continues all the way to August 3!
Held in an area that overlooks Sines’s bay and fishing port, this festival is named after the little bistros (known as tasquinhas) set up inside food tents along the beach. One of the requirements for the festival this year is that each tasquinha presenting prepared dishes must include at least two dishes with typical Sines gastronomy. Pair your local Sines comida with musical performances in a wide range of styles that start at 10:00 pm every night. The tasquinhas stay open until 2:00 am, so eat your heart out!
XXXII Feira de Enchidos, Queijo, e Mel – (The Smoked Meats, Cheese, and Honey Fair)
When – July 27 – August 4, 2024
Where – Vila De Rei (1.5 hours from Lisbon)
The Vila de Rei Fairgrounds once again play host to 100 stalls with the best artisans, gastronomy, and produce in the 32nd edition of a fair dedicated to Smoked Meats, Cheese, and Honey. The biggest names in Portuguese arts and entertainment grace the town of Vila de Rei for nine days and attract thousands to this part of Central Portugal. Since it is not so far from Lisbon or Coimbra, it is easy to come in and enjoy the festival for a delicious day of Portuguese fun!
Festival da Sardinha (Sardine Festival)
When – July 30 – August 4, 2024
Where – Portimão, Algarve (50 minutes from Faro)
If you didn’t make it to the Santos Populares Festivals in June in Lisbon, which serve sardines at practically every food stall, or you’re ready for Round 2, we introduce you to six more days of sardine sensation at the Festival da Sardinha in Portimão. The festival kicks off with a historical recreation of the unloading of sardines in Cais Gil Eanes. Lisboetas will feel right at home as the salty sardines come with a festive side of Portuguese music, which you can dance to long into the night. The festival starts at 6:00 PM every night and ends at midnight. As you groove to the music in the breezy summer evening, your belly full of sardines, you have to ask yourself: is there anything more quintessentially Portuguese than this?
Festival do Marisco (Seafood Festival)
When – August 10-14, 2024
Where – Olhão, Algarve (15 minutes from Faro)
Staying in Faro is a good base for foodies in August. Six days after the Sardine Festival, seafood fans can visit the city of Olhão and head straight for the huge tent set up close to the twin market halls along the waterfront. For €10 for adults and €5 for children (6 and under are free), visitors can enjoy feijoada de búzios (whelk and bean stew), arroz de marisco (seafood rice), and cataplana (seafood steamed in a particular type of copper pan), among many others. Of course, we also have musicians waiting to light up your night after you fill up your belly. Olhão is waiting for you, so seafood lovers should get yourself down to the Algarve! Weekly tickets are also available for €45 for adults and €22.5 for kids.
Festival do Bacalhau (Salted Cod Festival)
When – August 14-18, 2024
Where – Jardim Oudinot in Gafanha da Nazaré (about 50 minutes from Porto)
The celebration of fish in all its forms continues, but this festival is dedicated to Portugal’s most cherished fish – bacalhau (salted cod). From morning to night, for five days, you can celebrate the arduous journey of discovery that sailors made into Newfoundland and Greenland to fish for the delectable cod that became a staple of the Portuguese diet. Some say that there are 1,001 ways to cook bacalhau in Portugal, while others say that there is one way more every day of the year. Find your favorite type of bacalhau at this lively festival. Learn new bacalhau recipes to prepare for yourself as you wait for the next dish on the menu: music (of course). Wash it all down with wines from Bairrada!
Festa da Broa de Avintes (Corn Bread Festival)
When – August 23-September 1, 2024
Where – Avintes, near Porto
Avintes, a town just south of Porto, hosts the 35th edition of its famous cornbread festival the final week of August. The first mention of Broa de Avintes took place all the way back in 1563, and the locals have continued to make it ever since. Known as broa, this bread is considered by some to be a superfood and bears very little resemblance to the American cornbread. Made with corn and rye flours, broa is crusty on the outside and crumbly and dense on the inside. It is such a staple of Portuguese culture that is no wonder that there is an entire festival dedicated to it. Enjoy cooking demonstrations, concerts, and even trail running in the region (powered by this super bread).
Festival da Sopa da Pedra (Rock Soup Festival)
When – August 28-September 1, 2024
Where – Almeirim (70-minute drive from Lisbon)
Have you ever been to a food festival dedicated to one type of soup? Well, this is your chance! Sopa da Pedra (Rock Soup) is a traditional dish from Almeirim. It is made with beans, meats and sausages, potatoes, cabbage, carrots, and one special ingredient – a stone! That’s right. A local legend says that a monk in need hoped to prepare soup by using only stones and water. When he wanted to flavor the soup by adding more ingredients, the family added the ingredients that have become a staple of the Rock Soup. As a nod to the legend, a stone is placed at the bottom of a tureen used for serving the soup. After the soup is served, the stone is saved for the next time it is made.
Parque das Tilias in Almeirim serves this legendary soup along with other petiscos (snacks) and rounds it off with market stalls and musical performances galore. Now, you CAN tell that story about how you once went to that festival devoted to soup.
Festa das Vindimas
When – August 29-September 3, 2024
Where – Palmela (30-minute drive from Lisbon)
Ever dreamed of participating in a grape harvest and joining in some traditional dancing? Well, your dreams can come true in Palmela at the Festa das Vindimas, which celebrates winemaking traditions every year with a huge party that takes place over several days. A festival queen will be chosen in addition to the offering of local dishes, music, and, you guessed it, local wines! Get ready for a fine time!
Vindouro – Festa Pombalina
When – August 30-September 1, 2024
Where – São João da Pesqueira (2 hours from Porto)
The oldest wine festival in the Douro kicks off on the last Friday in August, celebrating the first demarcated wine region in the world by the Marquis of Pombal in 1756. Celebrate the Douro grape harvest with historical recreations from the 17th century, and mesmerizing landscapes, with the smell of harvested grapes and new wine in the air.
Expect wine tastings, a Pombaline (late 1700s-era) parade, concerts with live music and DJs, and regional markets.
