County Roscommon’s Brazil Day celebrations get underway this weekend

Celebrations for County Roscommon’s third annual Brazil Day get underway tomorrow, Saturday, July 4th, from 7 p.m. at The Coachman’s Inn in Roscommon Town.

For the first time, the event will host a warmup party, which is a reflection of the growing popularity of Brazil Day.

Live music starts at 9 p.m. from the band Trio Forrosteiros, which will be followed by an appearance from a guest DJ. Admission is €7 per person or €12 for a couple and is strictly an over-18s event.

This year’s event is being held earlier than previous years to coincide with the traditional Brazilian midsummer festival ‘Arraia.’ 

Catia da Nova is a member of the Brazilian community in Roscommon, and was a founding member of the Brazilian Cultural Club in the county.

Catia, who is a Community Development Integration worker with Vita House Outreach Centre, explained the meaning behind Arraia.

“Arraia is not dissimilar to the ploughing, because it’s a celebration of the harvest in Brazil – especially the corn harvest. In July we mostly eat corn, we bake cakes and make soup with corn,” she outlined.

The main event for Brazil Day will take place on Saturday, July 18th at the Kilbride Community Centre (F42 N277) from noon until 6 p.m..

The cultural festival is open to all members of the public who can expect to find traditional food stalls, live music and entertainment along with a dedicated kids zone.

Ms da Nova extended her gratitude for the support from the Roscommon Town Team, SICAP, Roscommon Leader Partnership and the Roscommon Volunteer Centre.

She also thanked event sponsors Val’s painting and decorating, Jet Transfer and Guedson da Moraes Construction.