Neverending feasts, fairs and open-air parties. Thousand of visitors occupy Ponte de Lima for three days. Entertainment for all tastes is presented here: from livestock contests to the running of the "garranos" (wild horses) and the majestic procession of Nossa Senhora das Dores (Our Lady of Sorrows) — the patron saint of fishermen. The celebration then continues with folklore shows, boat racing, arts and crafts' doll processions, drummers and fireworks.
This event ends the cycle of the religious festival of Alto Minho. It has been celebrated since 1826 when it was founded by the royal regiment of D. Pedro IV to honour Our Lady of Sorrows. Before that the "old fair" took place every fortnight in Ponte de Lima since 1125. The "new fair". The new fair takes place after the harvests in September, and usually falls on the 3rd weekend, there marked by feasts, fair and open-air parties. This festival ends the cycle of religious festivals of Alto Minho.
The Feiras Novas offers three days and nights of fun, color, joy, revelry and music. The parties emerge spontaneously with people singing and dancing on every corner of the village, which makes the Feiras Novas a very authentic experience considered the "largest live congress of popular culture in Portugal".
