Festa in Malalane a wonderful celebration of culture

Festivalgoers swarmed in as the gates opened at 09:00 to get the perfect seating in the shade.

By 12:00 the streets and sidewalks were packed with vehicles. The many attendees who decided to spend their Sunday there could explore the Portuguese culture, the tastiest traditional meal, refreshing drinks, live music and cultural dance performances.

Face painting, a water slide and jumping castles were organised for the children while the parents enjoyed the event with family and friends.

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Damiao de Freitas welcomed the crowd for their contribution to the festa, and sang to the people who danced, drank and ate throughout the day.

The Portuguese group, the Rancho Folclorico Da Casa Social da Madeira Club from Pretoria, was the main entertainment of the day. They performed among the festivalgoers with traditional dances, wearing cultural uniforms.

The Portuguese Festa started in 2004 as a fundraising event for the Catholic Church by celebrating the rich culture of the Portuguese people.

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“It was a huge success and the numbers keep growing each year. All our food was sold out in three hours! We would like to thank the Lowveld community for attending and supporting the event. Without them this could have not taken place and may we see everybody and more next year at the festa,” said Inês de Abreu, the coordinator.