Events in Vila Real de Santo António - Algarve - Portugal

Here you will find lots of information about events in Vila Real de Santo António in eastern Algarve, Portugal!

See when and where the markets are in and around Vila Real, what annual events take place in the town and wider municipality and what up and coming events there are in our Vila Real events listings. You can also find out when the Algarve bank holidays are so you don't miss out on something or, on a practical note, get caught out by the supermarkets closing.

Annual events in Vila Real de Santo António

• February or March: Carnivals in Praça Marquês de Pombal in Vila Real de Santo António on the Sunday before Shrove Tuesday and along the Avenida Marginal in Monte Gordo on Shrove Tuesday
• May 13th: Day of the City celebrations with a historical parade through the city and medieval fair in the Praça Marquês de Pombal

• June: Festival of Popular Saints takes place in Vila Real de Santo António, Monte Gordo and Vila Nova de Cacela. 12th (Santo António), 23rd (São Pedro) and 28th (São João). Music, dancing and good food help the celebrations along.
• July (beginning): Festas de Santa Rita
• July: Noites da Moura Encantada takes place over 4 days in Cacela Velha. Re-creating the times of the Arab occupation with music, traditional food, belly dancing and a traditional Souk market selling both arabic and algarvian goods.
• August (24th to 30th): Festas de São João da Degola - in Manta Rota. Part of the celebrations of St. John the Baptist is for a traditional 'Holy Bath' ( Banho Santo) in the sea on August 29th.
• September (2nd weekend): Festas de Nossa Senhora das Dores - the patron saint of Monte Gordo . A religious procession marks the festival but there is also a market along the beach front, musical entertainment at night and a fireworks display to end the festivities.
• September - the 1st Sunday: Festas de Nossa Senhora da Encarnação with a procession through Vila Real de Santo António at 6pm, after which there is a musical spectacular in Praça Marquês de Pombal and fireworks at midnight.
• October (2nd week): Feira da Praia - market stalls along the Avenida da República selling all sorts - clothing, kitchen utensils, craft work and the Praça Marquês de Pombal has the food stalls, with dried fruits, cheeses, sausages etc. Visitors come from all over and it's particularly popular with the neighbouring Spanish residents
• December: Festivities in Praça Marquês de Pombal throughout the month - Christmas Fair, children's entertainment, music.
• New Year's Eve: Fireworks and music.

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Algarve Bank holidays 2011 to 2017

• Municipal holiday: May 13th
• New Years Day: 1st January
• Carnival ("Carnaval" - Mardi Gras): 2011-March 8th; 2012-February 21st; 2013-February 12th; 2014-March 4th; 2015-February 17th; 2016-February 9th; 2017-February 28th.
• Good Friday: 2011-April 22nd; 2012-April 6th; 2013-March 29th; 2014-April 18th; 2015-April 3rd; 2016-March 25th; 2017-April 14th.
• Easter Sunday: 2011-April 24th; 2012-April 8th; 2013-March 31st; 2014-April 20th; 2015-April 5th; 2016-March 27th; 2017- April 16th.
• Liberation Day (celebrating the 1974 revolution): 25th April
• Labour Day: 1st May
• Corpus Christie: 2011-June 23rd; 2012-June 7th; 2013-May 30th; 2014-June 19th; 2015-June 4th; 2016-May 26th; 2017-June 15th.
• Portugal Day: 10th June
• Assumption of the Virgin: 15th August
• Republic Day: 5th October
• All Saints' Day: 1st November
• Restoration (of Independence) Day: 1st December
• Immaculate Conception: 8th December
• Christmas Day: 25th December

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Markets in the Vila Real area

• Market in Vila Nova de Cacela: 3rd Sunday of each month next to the market
• Market in Tavira: 3rd Saturday of the month in Rua Vale Caranguejo
• Market in Santa Catarina: 4th Sunday of the month in Rua 1.º de Maio
• Flea market in Vila Real de Santo António: 2nd Saturday of the month in Praça Marquês de Pombal starting at 10am
• Flea market in Monte Gordo: 4th Saturday of the month, next to the Tourist office, starting at 10am.
• Antique fair and flea market in Tavira: 1st Saturday of the month on Avenida D. Manuel I (next to the new market)

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