This is the largest Madeiran party in the world. This is the 107th year this party has been celebrated, and barrels of Madeira Wine and taken over to the US for the celebrations.
These days at Madeira Field, in New Bedford, where the feast of the Blessed Sacrament takes place, movement is intense. The organizing committee, made up only of Madeirans, has entire families working voluntarily.
Everything is organized, some are responsible for the meat stand, others for the bolo do caco stand, more for the malassadas, and for the wine, and so on. There are a total of 12 large tents.
We are not sure how many volunteers participate, but we do know that the committee of partygoers is made up of about 30 members, who accompany the president of this celebration in 2023, James Gouveia, a Portuguese descendant with roots in the parish of Fajã da Ovelha, municipality of Calheta .
The streets are decorated with flags like in Madeira and at night the movement is even greater, outsiders want to hear the great musical bands that perform on the four stages of the event. DIÁRIO toured the venue and its surroundings and spoke with several locals who spoke about the experience and the work that the party brings.
We spoke with Luís Meneses, a native of São Vicente, who was at the meat stall. He said that he has been in America for 52 years and that he has been participating in the Feast of the Blessed Sacrament in New Bedford for 50 years.
“I am the person responsible for cutting the beef so that they can then make the skewers. Normally we sell 10,000 pounds at that party, as we are talking about five tons”, explained the 78-year-old emigrant, referring that to cut all the product he has a lot of help from volunteers who work in the tent during these four days.
On the bolo do caco stand they usually sell more than 4,000 bolos do caco. “It takes a lot of flour and a lot of hands to help make so much bolo do caco.
Tomorrow (Sunday) , at 9:15 am, a sung mass will begin at the Portuguese church of the Imaculada Conceição, which will be attended by all 30 revelers, their wives and all members of the Club Madeirense do Santíssimo Sacramento, following a tradition dating back over a century. The celebration is sung by the local church choir.
Also present at this religious act will be the regional secretary for Health and Civil Protection, Pedro Ramos, who is in New Bedford, participating in this party on behalf of the President of the Regional Government of Madeira.