For over a month, the city of Famalicão will be buzzing with lights, musical shows, an ice rink, a giant tree and wheel, the Christmas Parade, INAC's Paper Circus, Santa's Solidarity Cabin, the traditional train and carousel, the Christmas Market, and much more.

Whether for kids or adults, the ‘Place of Christmas’ promises guaranteed fun for everyone.

On 23 November, at 6pm, the city will take on a new glow with the inauguration of the Christmas lights, the multimedia show and the Christmas Village. The entertainment will continue until 5 January in various parts of the city.

Famalicenses will be able to find the Ice Rink, the Carousel, the Ferris Wheel, the Christmas Market and the Food Court in Praça D. Maria II, where the traditional Christmas Train will also pass through between 30 November and 31 December.

From the 30th, the Paper Circus, promoted by the National Institute of Circus Arts (INAC), will set up in Parque 1.º de Maio with the show ‘Histórias de Maria’.

Throughout the month, the city's streets and squares will embrace the Christmas season with different moments of entertainment.

On 1 December, at 2pm, the Christmas Parade will run through the streets of the city, preceding the opening of the Solidarity Hut, set up in Praça 9 de Abril.

The (In)Choir Communities have shows scheduled for the 1st, 8th and 15th of December at the Praça - Municipal Market, a venue that will also host various Christmas sweets production sessions, with chefs Aníbal Morais, on the 7th of December, and Chakall, on the 14th and 21st of December.

In music, the Ibertrio group, the Mário Barreiros quartet, the ACAFADO association, ARTAVE, the FAMART solo with Luís Cruz, among other artists and organisations, will be bringing different shows to the city this season. The Christmas concert by ARTAVE takes place on 20 December at 9pm in the Old Parish Church.

There's also sporting action, with the 8th edition of the Famalicão São Silvestre scheduled for 23 December at 21h30.

The usual Famalicão Porto de Encontro, promoted by the Famalicão Commercial and Industrial Association (ACIF), will be held on 24 December at 18h00.

It should be noted that, as in the previous year, the municipality will be distributing tickets for the various amusements to children in the municipality: pre-school (train, carousel and circus), 1st and 2nd Cycles (train, carousel, circus, ice rink and Ferris wheel), 3rd Cycle (ice rink and Ferris wheel) and Secondary (Ferris wheel). For the Paper Circus, the ticket offered by the municipality is equivalent to a ‘Family Voucher’, worth 60% off up to a total of 5 tickets.

In Famalicão, the Christmas campaign is organised by the municipality in partnership with ACIF, among other associations, institutions and companies in the county.
The entire programme can soon be consulted on the municipality's website at famalicao.pt.

3.7 million LED lights illuminate Famalicão

The magic of the most special time of the year illuminates Famalicão from 23 November, when 3.7 million LED lights are switched on in the municipality.

This year, the Christmas lights will reach around 60 streets, spaces, roundabouts and buildings in the city, extending to the three villages of the municipality - Joane, Ribeirão and Riba de Ave, with more than 20 illuminated streets.

The mayor of the municipality, Mário Passos, spoke of ‘focusing on what is one of the most special times of the year’.

‘The Christmas programme is becoming an increasingly strong point in the municipality's tourist calendar which, at this time, also wants to position itself as an exciting destination for all those who like to experience the magic of Christmas to the fullest,’ he says.

‘From 23rd November, Famalicão will be transformed into the Place of Christmas, with six unique weeks to which everyone is invited,’ says Mário Passos.