São Brás de Alportel celebrated 90 years as a concelho recently, and the occasion was marked by festivities.
Celebrations started in the morning in the Salão Nobre of the Municipal Câmara, where a solemn session took place, paying tribute to all the Câmara presidents since 1914. Later that afternoon, a commemoration of International Children’s Day took place in the Jardim Municipal Carrera Viegas and 90 balloons were launched into the sky.
The anniversary celebrations also coincided with National Cork Day and there was a fashion show, Terra da Cortiça, featuring cork appliqué, by stylist De São Vicente, a promising São-Brasense stylist, and Cláudia Sousa, who works as a cork ambassador in the world of fashion. The show is due to be repeated at the end of July.
Câmara President, António Eusébio, took part in the celebrations and donned an elegant cork coat on the catwalk. “Cork is part of our town,” he says: “When São Brás was made a concelho, it contributed to the development of the cork industry at the beginning of the 20th century. Today, between the past and the future, it is a powerful product that needs to be valued.” The São Brás celebrations are continuing throughout the summer. Traditional popular fairs complete with marching bands and all the sardines you can eat are on the agenda, explains Marlene Guerreiro from the Câmara. For more information, keep an eye on our what’s on pages.
