Sardine Festival in Portugal
The Annual Sardine Festival in Portimão, Portugal, does NOT celebrate that fish-in-a-can so familiar to Americans, Road Trips Foodies! These sardines are the real thing: a tasty and abundant coastal fish. Well, sure, they keep well in salt, but during the festival, the Portuguese prepare sardines as they’re meant to be enjoyed: fresh grilled sardines are served with boiled potatoes, grilled peppers, local red wine and, of course, music.
The festival features Fado singer Carlos do Carmo, the songs of Dulce Pontes, Pedro Abrunhosa and Vitorino Salomé, and the rhythms of Toranja and Canta Baía, among others. Other features include handmade crafts on display and for sale and an aquatic firework display. The festival begins in early August 2010. Dates seem a bit fluid here in the Algarve, but generally the Sardine Festival starts during the second week in August and ends during the third.
