New Bedford, Mass.: A feast to family, community, hard work

By JOSEPH F. NUNES
HARTFORD COURANT
One of the largest concentrations of Madeirans outside of Madeira can be found in New England on the first weekend of August each year.
That's when the annual Feast of the Blessed Sacrament, commonly known as the Madeira Feast, takes place on Madeira Field in New Bedford, Mass.
A kind of Portuguese Woodstock, the free celebration is billed as the largest Portuguese festival in the world and one of the oldest ethnic festivals in America.
The feast was founded in 1915 by four Madeiran immigrants to celebrate their homeland culture, and it continues to be run by the Club Madeirense S.S. Sacramento's feast committee, whose members trace their heritage to Madeira.
The festival toasts three chief characteristics of Madeirans: love of family, and by extension community; a predisposition to work hard; and a love for partying, said Frank Canha, 72, of New Bedford, a club member. "Everything within reason," he said.
Many visitors typically come from Madeiran communities around the world, including Venezuela, South Africa, Brazil, Canada and California, Canha said. "There's lots of respect for one another, and for everyone," he said.
More information and directions are available at www.portuguesefeast.com or by calling (508) 992-6911.