The New Bedford Feast of the Blessed Sacrament, a.k.a. the Portuguese Feast, a.k.a. Madeira Feast is the largest event the city has every year. More than that, it is the largest Portuguese feast in the world and the largest ethnic festival in New England. The feast was founded in 1915 by four Madeiran immigrants who wanted to recreate the festivities of their home island.

Between my own experience with the feast, some careful research and some very helpful guidance from Ed Camara, the Director of Media and Public Relations for Clube Madeirense S.S. Sacramento I have come up with an overview of the feast which has become a major attraction for visitors from all over who come to celebrate the Portuguese culture through food, drink and entertainment.

For this year’s 2012 feast, over 100,000 attendees are being anticipated. If you are considering being one of them, here are some things you should know about the feast:

1. Time and Location

If you have never been to the feast it naturally makes sense to let you know where to go and when to be there. The feast is a four day event, officially kicking off at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 2nd and end Sunday, August 5th. The grounds close at 11:30 p.m. each night.

On Friday the grounds re-open from 6 p.m to 11:30 p.m. The weekend hours start a bit earlier with Saturday festivities beginning at 10 a.m with the 13th annual 5K Road Race followed by Kid’s Day. The last day of the feast is Sunday which starts off with a parade at 2:00 p.m on Acushnet Avenue. For more information on when and where events will be taking place, go to the Portuguese Feast Entertainment Schedule (http://portuguesefeast.com/page/entertainment-schedule).

Most of the events take place at Madeira Field, which is permanent location in New Bedford’s north end which comes to life one weekend a year for the festivities. The address of Madeira Field is 50 Madeira Avenue, New Bedford, MA. Parking can be a bit tricky, you may have to plan to search a bit to find a spot and walk a few blocks, or pay to park in a nearby lot.

2. Costs

The festival allows free admission and free entertainment thanks to the hard work of the committee members who comprise the 2012 Feast of the Blessed Sacrament Committee. While admission is free there are also many vendors at the grounds selling everything from handmade Madeiran souvenirs to cigars.

Tickets may also be purchased to buy authentic Portuguese cuisine or, if you’re over 21, an impressive selection of alcoholic beverages. Tickets cost a dollar each and can be purchased at ten machines located throughout the grounds by placing a five, ten or twenty dollar bill inside. Tickets are non-refundable. There are also stands with employees who sell the tickets.

Prices of food are kept reasonable, and I was informed by the Mr. Camara (who has been a part of the feast’s organization since 1982) that prices on some items are actually lowered and no prices have been increased in the past few years. To give you a general idea of the prices of items at the feast, a full meal is 12 tickets (which equates to 12 dollars), most sandwiches are around four tickets, and a soda or a water goes for one ticket.

3. Food

One of the greatest features of the feast is the delicious Portuguese fare. There are many food stands located throughout Madeira Field that serve your favorites from the simple delights of linguica and cacoila sandwiches to full on Portuguese cuisine plates of chicken, beef, goat or tuna with potatoes, rice and vegetables.

Another major culinary draw is the Carne de Espeto, a massive, 40 foot barbecue pit where beef sirloin cubes can be cooked over an open flame on massive skewers. This is hard to miss since the aroma is absolutely mouth watering. Visitors are able to buy the meat for eight tickets a pound and a delicious aromatic salt is provided to cook with. Visitors are then able to roast their own dinner over the gas-fired lava rock grill. Mr. Camara advised me that if someone tells you to pour Madeira wine on the meat it is not advisable (it does not help the flavor and causes the meat to burn faster!)

In case you are not accustomed to the flavorful cooking style of Portuguese cuisine, go to the Food & Drink page of the Portuguese Feast website for definitions of some of the food you might expect to see (http://portuguesefeast.com/page/food-drink).

4. Drink

One of the great draws of the feast is the consumption of Madeira wine, which is a central part of the festivities as it is part of a long tradition. Madeira wine is a sweet, fortified red wine. Genuine Madeira wine is made on the island of Madeira, and exportation of actual barrels are restricted due to regulations. However, thanks to a special agreement made between feast officials and the President of Madeira, casks are able to be delivered to New Bedford and served for the weekend, making this a very rare treat for those who attend.

For those who don’t find the taste of Madeira wine suits their pallet, there are a great variety of additional options including a full liquor bar for mix drinks. Alcohol stands also serve sangria and white wine and Budweiser beer is on tap.

5. Entertainment

There is a great deal of quality free entertainment at the feast each year from Portuguese and American cultures. There are three stages throughout Madeira field, and each host a variety of performance types throughout the weekend. In addition, the Museum of Madeiran Heritage will be featuring musical performances each night of the feast from 8- 11:30 PM. These performances will be featuring fado music, a Portuguese genre of music that can be traced back to the 1820s but is believed to be even older than that. For a schedule of who will be performing go here (http://portuguesefeast.com/page/museum-cafe-entertainment).

One of the cultural acts that you may see take the stage at Madeira field is Groupo Folclorico Clube Madeirense S.S. Sacramento. This group of dancers present traditional dancing performances to authentic Madeiran music dressed in traditional clothing. Folclorico performances are always very spirited and interesting to see.

There will be dozens of bands on the smaller stages during the feast. The small stages feature varying music styles, from Portuguese rock groups to some really fun cover bands, and even local sensations like J Kelly Band, Rebecca Correia and Craig DeMello. The small stages provide a fun environment as you walk around the feast grounds earlier in the evening, but the largest stage is reserved for a special performance at 10:00 each night. Thursday night the band Fuel will take the stage as this year’s national headliner. Originally formed in 1989, Fuel reformed their band in 2010. They are known for several hit songs including “Hemorrhage”, “Shimmer”, “Bad Day” and “Falls on Me”.

Friday night will feature Entrain, a band from Martha’s Vineyard that specializes in “infectious rhythms” according to their website. Entrain features an impressive resume of musicians that play a variety of styles. On Saturday a Portuguese rock band from Massachustts called Eratoxica will be the main stage highlight to cap off the evening, and Dirty Deeds will be playing AC/DC tribute music for the final night of the feast.

6. Families

Since Madeira feast involves alcohol consumption, some readers may be wondering if it is a family appropriate event. You will be glad to know that family values are integral to the foundation of the feast. While it is probably not advisable to bring young children later in the night due to large crowds and loud music, it should be mentioned that there are many features of the feast that children will love. Also, the feast takes great measures to prohibit underage drinking. All who wish to consume alcoholic beverages are required to undergo a license verification process in order to receive a specially printed wrist band.

An interesting part of the feast is that it features carnival rides and games all weekend. Saturday is probably the best day for families with young kids thanks to Kids Day Afternoon which follows the annual road race. Kids Day kicks off at noon and involves local children’s music and clowns. There are also carnival games and rides that are sure to make any child’s day.

Saturday afternoon is also typically dedicated to senior citizens in the community as well, offering half priced meals from noon to four which means only $6 for a full plate of food.

7. History

The Feast of the Blessed Sacrament gains its roots from the island of Madeira which is located 390 miles off the coast of Morocco. Traditionally, each Roman Catholic parish in Madeira would observe a festival to celebrate their patron saint. A committee of four men called festeiros would be responsible for preparing the village for the celebration by decorating the streets, contracting entertainment (often in the form of a brass band and fireworks) and holding a ceremonial meal after mass on Sunday.

There are many versions of the tale of why the Feast of the Blessed Sacrament was first begun in New Bedford 97 years ago. What is certain however, is that the feast was initiated as a means of preserving basic values of the Madeiran culture. Of course, since it was first begun the feast has changed in many ways to accommodate thousands of eager participants and modern elements of celebration.

While there have been many changes in the feast, there are traditional aspects which still remain central to the celebration. The tradition of Madeira wine is a very old one, dating back to the 15th Century when the Malvasia vine was planted on the island of Madeira to see it would yield an alternative supply of wine for England. When growth was successful Madeira wine quickly took to the market, but did not become a major export until many years later. It wasn’t until the 16th Century that the taste we know of today was created when they discovered that the flavor of the wine was actually improved by being repeatedly heated up. Follow the link for more information on the history of Madeira wine (http://portuguesefeast.com/page/madeira-wine-history).

The religious aspect of the feast also remains a part of proceedings. As it did in 1915, the feast still takes place near Our Lady of Immaculate Conception which is located on the corner of Earle and Madeira Street in New Bedford. The Portuguese feast pays homage to its religious traditions with a special High Mass at 10 AM on Sunday, August 1st. The Festeiros and their wives or significant others participate in a procession to the church where Father Daniel O. Reis gives a Benediction to the Blessed Sacrament. Throughout the weekend the church also usually hosts organ music and vocalists in the evening.

8. Madeira Field

The grounds on which the Feast of the Blessed Sacrament takes place are quite expansive and easy to lose people in. Be sure you have a plan for finding lost party members whether it be by cell phone or a designated area to meet up at.

When entering the feast you will need to get in line for a wrist band if you wish to purchase alcoholic beverages. One of the most prominent features you will notice upon entering the festival grounds is the Santana House. The house is designed after the colorful architectural styles of the homes in the village Santana, Madeira and is where the Madeira wine is served from.

Across from the Santana House is Stage One, which is massive and where the main attractions will be hosted throughout the weekend. There are also two other smaller stages, one that is inside the gates and the other which is outside and amongst the souvenir vendors. You will also see several food and drink stands throughout the grounds, and towards the back you will find the barbecue pits for Carne de Espeto (or just follow your nose).