Famalicão is counting down to the longest night of the year, with all the details of the festivities being finalised and prepared.
Thousands of revellers are expected in the city to experience Carnival on the streets of Vila Nova de Famalicão, especially on the night of Monday 3 March. In addition, so that no one misses the festivities, the town hall will be providing free road transport within the municipality.
A total of 12 free bus routes will be available, departing from the various parishes in the municipality - Mogege, Pedome, Riba de Ave, Bairro, Ribeirão, Fradelos, Gondifelos, Nine (via Arnoso), Portela, Nine (via Lemenhe), Jesufrei and Lousado - at 21h45, 22h30 and 23h15, heading for the city centre, where the party goes on until dawn. On the way back there are buses at 03h00, 04h00 and 05h00, leaving from Parque 1.º de Maio, in front of the D. Sancho I Secondary School.
The municipality is also maintaining its special partnership with CP - Comboios de Portugal, with pre-sale tickets at the special price of 3 euros, return, on all the lines of the Comboios Urbanos do Porto.
Famalicão will be ‘The House of Carnival’ for all those who want to experience the most fun and spontaneous carnival celebrations in the country, on a night of unrivalled revelry.
From 20h30, the city centre is the meeting point for the big night of revelry, with entertainment on the streets, in the bars, restaurants and on the four stages where the municipality is in charge: Rua Luís Barroso, Praça 9 de Abril, Praça D. Maria II and Praça - Mercado Municipal.
Also noteworthy are the Food Courts set up in Praceta Cupertino de Miranda and Rua Padre Benjamim Salgado and the usual masquerade parade and competition, with prizes for the top three, which takes place on the stage in Rua Luís Barroso.
It should be noted that the Famalicão Carnival is promoted and organised by the municipality in partnership with ACIF - the Famalicão Commercial and Industrial Association, the city's restaurants and bars, cultural, recreational, sporting and social solidarity associations, and the municipality's schools.
The night of the 3rd of March promises great entertainment, but Carnival takes to the streets as early as this Friday, the 28th of February, with the Children's Parade and the handpicked revellers taking to the streets of the city. The parade starts at 14h00, leaving from Rua Adriano Pinto Basto and heading towards Parque 1º de Maio.
On Saturday, March 1, the Masks and Caretos exhibition opens in S. Miguel de Seide and on Sunday, March 2, from 10h00, the Caretos parade takes place through the town centre, leaving from the Town Hall.
On the afternoon of Monday 3 March, the seniors make way for the big party night, with the Senior Carnival Parade colouring the Municipal Pavilion.
On Carnival Tuesday there are parades throughout the municipality. The festivities end with the traditional ‘Queima do Galheiro’ in Fradelos, starting at 20h30, marking the end of the carnival festivities and the beginning of the Lenten season.
The entire Famalicão Carnival programme is available for consultation at famalicao.pt.
