Brazilian Festas Juninas e Julinas 2010
This is my annual post rounding up as many local Brazilian Festas Juninas (and julinas) as feasible. I do not know of one complete source for festival information in Portuguese or English, so my sources vary (and I can guess many of the dates based on past patterns), but the last two years the Apostolado Brasileiro de Massachusetts web page calendar has allowed me to easily confirm many dates where in the past I had to call around. I am not living in the Boston area, so I won't be able to keep on top of rain dates and cancellations, but because of that I especially welcome reviews and experiences from other hounds.
The Festas Juninas are organized around days for certain saints from the Catholic Chuch, drawing from traditions in Europe especially with the Festa Sao Joao (John). Because of the timing of the festivals (late autumn in Brazil) and the popularity of the festivals in the Northeast (where droughts are common and the tie to the religious aspect of the festivals is strongest), harvest foods play a large role in the celebrations, particularly food based around corn. Although the tradition is strongest in the Northeast, the festas and some of the cultural traditions are celebrated all over Brazil. In the Northeast there are huge festivals lasting weeks and drawing tourists, but also religious pilgrimages. In other parts of the Interior (such as Minas Gerais) they are celebrated on a town level and here especially festas juninas have stretched into festas julinas. And in many parts of Brazil schools teach the children some of the traditional dances and the schools hold their own festas juninas. Sao Joao is often thanked for a successful harvest, Sao Pedro asked for rain in the following year, and Santo Antonio in request for true love.
In Boston most of the Festas Juinas are organized around Brazilian parishes of the Catholic Church. Usually its individuals associated with the parish do the organizing (in some of the older parishes some members can be approaching 20 years in the community, but priests rotate). Whether the parish itself does the cooking can vary: most of the older ones do most of their cooking (Allston, Somerville, East Boston, etc), but some rent out spaces. There also are "festas caipiras" out of season (fora de epoca) and other arraiais (the arraial is the location of a festa juninas) including ones associated with local businesses, but year in and year out, its specific Brazilian parishes which carry on the traditions. In general these events do serve as fund raisers for the parish or possibly some cause associated with it, but are more of a community event than a religious event.
As I mentioned food is only one aspect of the festa junina tradition. There is often a band, couples dance quadrilhas (Brazilian square dances, with a caller and the costumes), usually a country wedding which can be humorous. I believe these festivals are chowish because of the strong role of the food traditions and some dishes which are hard to try elsewhere. That said if you go only for the chow, there is a chance of being disappointed. And Somerville in particular, the block party aspect to it can completely overrun the chow/traditions. I don't believe any festas serve a Quentao anymore (and its out of season), a few offer beer which will either be macrobrews or perhaps sponsored by a Brazilian brew (schincariol/nova schin and brahma have in the past) . Allston is next Saturdays festival and one I like to recommend because its got a strong parish behind it which makes their own foods, without the total craziness of Somerville. In general Saturday night festas start between 5 and 7pm, closing somewhere from 11-midnight (sometimes 10 depending on local towns). Sunday festas start around 2-3pm and can go as late as 9.
Everett 6/5/2010 (already passed)
Allston 6/12/2010 5pm-midnight
Rockland 6/13 5pm-midnight
Lowell 6/19 5pm-1am
Stoughton 6/19 7-12
Cambridge 6/19 7- 10 or 11pm
Plymouth 6/20 7-midnight
Somerville 6/26 (usually 5pm - midnight)
Nashua, NH 6/26
East Boston 7/10 7
Maynard 7/10 7pm
Gloucester 8/21 7pm
Marlboro 9/18 4pm
Other local cities which usually have festas juninas, but I don't
have dates
Peabody (indoors in the past, outdoors last year?) sometimes in July
Framingham (usually hosted by Woodrow Wilson School PTO and timing has moved around, but in recent years they did it earlier in the school year -- April or so)
Milford (usually early)
Leominster (?)
Woburn (often in the middle, with Cambridge)
Lynn (only a couple of times in the past, not certain)
Here are some addresses of Brazilian Parishes I have collected in the past. I can't guarantee that is where the festas will be, but maybe will give you an idea where to look. Often posters are put up at near Brazilian stores or at the churches themselves a few weeks beforehand. If you can provide better addresses or phone numbers, all the better.
Allston Santo Antonio starting at 5pm: 43 Holton St - Allston, MA 02134 (Corner of Everett and Holton St) (confirmed address)
Cambridge, 5pm-12 midnight, 400 Cardinal Medeiros Ave, Cambridge, MA (confirmed address)
East Boston, Madonna Queen Nat Shrine, 150 Orient Ave. (moved outdoors in recent years)
Everett St Anthony's 38 Oaks St, 617-387-1393 (confirmed address, but festival is over for 2010)
Lowell 6/21, Holy Family School, 122 Andrews Street - Lowell - MA - 01852 (978) 934-0622 (likely address)
Lynn, St Joseph's Parish, 115 Union St (probably no 2010 festa)
Marlboro, Immaculate Conception, 11 Prospect Street (likely address)
Peabody, Nossa Senhora de Fatima, 50 Walsh Ave, (978) 532-0272) (likely address)
Plymouth, St Mary, 313 Court Street
Rockland, Sacred Family, 403 Union St, Sunday 6/22
Somerville, Saint Anthony's, 480(+/-) Somerville Ave, Somerville MA (confirmed address)
Stoughton, Immaculate Conception, 122 Canton St
Woburn, 280 Main Street,
Not all the foods you will run into are specific to festas juninas, some not even Brazilian
Corn based offerings
Espiga de milho verde (corn on the cob)
canjicao (semi-sweet dish made with milk and hominy, with cinnamon)
pamonha (brazilian version of tamale, both sweet and savory versions exist)
mingau de milho verde (brazilian style creamed corn, also with cinnamon and of varying sweetness) called curau in the northeast
other brazilian dishes
acaraje (fritters made from bean meal, associated with baianas from Bahia traditionally fried in palm oil)
vatapa -- paste made with dried shrimp, peanuts, palm oil, coconut milk (served with acaraje)
pimenta malageta (not a dish per-se, but if you like your acaraje spicy)
churrasquinho (skewers, with beef, chicken, maybe sausage and hopefully cheese)
salgadinhos (savory treats, search on board for more descriptions) -- look for "pastel/pasteis" fried to order
brazilian sweets
pe-de-moleque (a brazilian peanut sweet, sort of a mix between fudge and brittle)
cocada (fudge made with coconut and condensed milk, served as cubes)
doce de leite (just like dulce de leche)
Drinks
Quentao -- brazilian version of a hot toddy made with lime, cinnamon, cachaca, etc (unlikely to find)
Also beer, guarana, brazilian juices, and sodas
others
cachorro quente (hot dog, but distinctly brazilian with many toppings such as corn sticks sort of like x-tudo and usually cooked in a tomato broth)
pipoca (brazilians do have pride in their own popcorn and its traditional to festa juninas, but this will be made in the usual carnaval style poppers)
algodao doce (cotton candy)
