‘Largest Portuguese feast in the world’ turns 100

If you fancy yourself a foodie, you won’t want to miss the 100th Feast of the Blessed Sacrament — a.k.a. the Portuguese Feast, or the Festa. The free-admission, family-friendly festival in New Bedford runs July 31 to Aug. 3.

Billed as the “largest Portuguese feast in the world,” it typically attracts 100,000 visitors from all over the United States, Canada, and Portugal over the course of four days, said Larry Abreu Jacques, president of the feast committee and the Clube Madeirense S.S. Sacramento, which organizes the feast.

“I haven’t been here all 100 years, but I guess we must be doing something right,” said Jacques, who has attended “the Festa” since he was 7, and has been a feast committee member, or festeiro, since 1988.

The festeiros expect a record crowd for the big event, and have ordered a record amount of food, including some 22,000 pounds of meat and fish, some 48,000 Portuguese rolls, 700 pounds of potatoes, 350 pounds of dry rice, 600 pounds of dry fava beans, gallons of Portuguese kale soup, and casks of Madeiran wine, straight from the Portuguese island of Madeira.

“We usually start running out of food at 6 p.m. Sunday, and that’s the way it should be,” said Ed Camara Jr., director of media and public relations for the Feast.

The malassadas — Portuguese doughnuts made of fried dough covered in sugar — are “so popular that the lines go on forever, so we’ve opened two locations this year,” he said. “We make thousands, and they’re gone by 8 p.m. Saturday.”

For the uninitiated, the feast is something of an old European-style festival in the streets — complete with traditional Portuguese folk dancers, traditional Portuguese singers, and plenty of meats and wine.

Perhaps its oldest, most European tradition is the carne d’espeto, or “meat on a spit”— a 40-foot-long by 4-foot-wide barbecue pit; feast-goers rent 6-foot-long metal skewers, or espetos, and buy raw marinated Portuguese beef by the pound to grill to taste over the lava rocks.

“Some people pour Madeira wine or beer on the meat, which is probably silly because it burns right off at that temperature, but they claim it makes a difference,” Camara said.

For others, it’s about just the right amount of special spice — a mixture that includes salt, garlic powder, and crushed red and black pepper, said Jacques.

Eat the beef straight from the skewer — after it cools, of course — or turn it into a sandwich by placing it onto a fresh Portuguese roll, or “pops.”

If you’re not a big do-it-yourselfer, go for the full-meal plate: your choice of chicken, beef, tuna, fish fillets, pork, pork butt, goat or rabbit, each served with heaping sides of rice, potatoes, and mixed vegetables, a bowl of Portuguese kale soup and fresh Portuguese bread.

If your kids aren’t exactly big on goat or pork butt, the festeiros have hot dogs, burgers, and fries too.

For lighter fare, grab a sandwich. There’s tuna steak, beef, chicken, linguica, or cacoila, a Portuguese marinated pulled pork, among other options.

Wine aficionados, here’s your chance to taste real Madeiran wine, a sweet dessert wine, without having to travel to the Portuguese archipelago yourself.

“We’re the only place in the world permitted to get Madeiran wine by the cask. You have to be approved by the Madeiran government,” Camara said.

Neither he nor Jacques could give an exact amount of wine, but it’s safe to say there’s plenty: “The wine is the one item we try to have last until the end. It’s a reason for coming,” Camara said. “We’ve got those diehards who say, ‘Let’s go home, but before we do, let’s have one more toast of wine.’ ”

You also have your choice of beer, red wine, white wine, water, coffee, or soft drinks.

While the food and wine is “reasonably priced,” rocking out at any of the four headliner concerts is free. All headliners play at 10 p.m.

■ The ’90s rock band The Gin Blossoms (“Til I Hear It From You,” “Hey, Jealousy”) play July 31.

■ Jazz-rockers Blood, Sweat & Tears (“You’ve Made Me So Very Happy,” “Got to Get You Into My Life”) and “American Idol” finalist Bo Bice play Aug. 1.

■ Starlight, a five-piece Portuguese band from Toronto, plays Aug. 2

■ Country singer-songwriter Phil Vassar plays Aug. 3.

Other entertainment includes local Massachusetts singer-songwriters, improv comedy troupe The Portuguese Kids, children’s entertainment, and traditional Portuguese folk dancers.

If you go Aug. 3, there’s a massive parade at 3 p.m., complete with Clydesdale horses, drums, bugles, and an expected 20,000 onlookers, which you may want to see or avoid, depending on your love of parades or wariness of traffic.

There’s also a 5K run-walk on Aug. 2 at 10 a.m. if you want a burn a few feast calories, and the Museum of Madeiran Heritage to explore.

For a break from the hustle and bustle, head to the Courtyard Cafe, a tent near the museum, where you can listen to “quiet music,” Camara said, and enjoy a cappuccino, espresso, Madeiran wine, or coffee, and sample dozens of styles of Portuguese pastries.

“It’s like a little bit of Europe,” Camara said.

Feast headquarters are 50 Madeira Ave, New Bedford. For more information, visit www.portuguesefeast.com.

Traditional dancing is part of the festivities.ed camara jr.

Lauren Daley can be reached at ldaley
33@gmail.com.