Um stadium to be able to see all the World Cup matches, the Festival Choque Frontal, with performances by Vítor Bacalhau, and even an event dedicated to francesinhas. Praça da República (Alameda), right in the center of Portimão, will be the stage for all these events, with the aim of giving life to that area during the summer and creating «a new centrality».
This ambitious and extensive program of events was presented this Wednesday, May 30th, on the terrace of the AlmaTown restaurant, overlooking the Alameda de Portimão, and starts this Friday, on Children's Day, June 1st.
The “Silent Party”, a silent party, kicks off. Starting at 17:30 pm, the mechanics of the party are as follows: at the entrance to the venue, participants receive headphones and, to the sound of music from all seasons, which can only be heard in the phones, two DJs (Echo Sound) will capture the attention and encourage the audience to dance in despique. You headphones lights up green or red, depending on the DJ you are listening to.
The artists will play music simultaneously, on different frequencies, but those present will only be able to hear what they choose through around 1000 individual headphones.
After the “party of silence”, the program of events continues this weekend, June 2nd and 3rd, with the National Harley Davidson Meeting, which will bring together 300 motorcycles, but at Largo 1º de Maio, the City Hall, also in the center of Portimão.
As for the Popular Marches, this year they also have great news. On June 8, the day they parade in Portimão, the starting point for the four marches will be Alameda da República.
The traditional parade, on the other hand, takes place near the old auction, and in this edition, around 300 extras will be involved. This year each of the marches receives support of 1600 euros from the City Council.
One of the highlights of this program of events is the Futebol Park Alameda, which will transform Praça da República into an authentic football stadium. On a giant screen, all the World Cup matches will be broadcast, from June 13th to July 15th. There will also be a DJ every night, as well as street food and inflatables.
The idea is to make that space a real football party for the whole family. And, if possible, that everything ends with a victory for Portugal for the joy to be even better…
All these events, which also include the Festival Choque Frontal, on the 13th of July, with performances by Vítor Bacalhau, the Gaijas and South Kick, the International Festival of Children and Youth Songs Chaminé de Ouro, on the 21st of July, and the Tasquinhas na Alameda, from the 9th to the 19th of August, they want to make the whole area “be better used”, according to Isilda Gomes, mayor of Portimão.
In statements to the Sul Informação, the mayor considered that that space, «open and multifunctional, can be better used. Therefore, we have prepared this set of initiatives that will fill practically the entire summer».
Because, he said, "it is not worth having thousands of people come to Portimão, without them knowing or moving to the center of the city." And many of them will arrive in the Algarve city on 30 cruise ship stopovers, estimated from June to September. “By creating a pole of attraction here, we are saying: come to the center”, reinforced the mayor.
And, if there are more people going to that area, it benefits local businesses more. “We also want to boost the local economy. When there is a program of activities, it is easier for people to come to traditional commerce and this area of business is fundamental for Portimão», he considered.
Still, according to the mayor, it is necessary to "change the mentality" of these traders. “If we have events here at night, but the stores are closed, there are no sales. I believe that, with this program and this attractiveness, the traders themselves will at least have the experience of being open», he told the Sul Informação.
“If we have an open-air shopping center here, with Rua do Comércio and adjacent streets, people come here. I myself will talk to the traders and I will wake them up to this need to be open», he also referred.
Returning to the program of events, Alameda will also host the Accordion Festival “João César”, on 18 August, organized by the Parish Council of Portimão, and the Festival das Francesinhas, from 17 to 29 July.
This gastronomic event is a first, in Portimão, and will bring restaurants from the North of Portugal to the Algarve to prepare the typical Porto delicacy around here.
Still in the presentation of this program of events, Isilda Gomes highlighted that the Chamber will invest 46 thousand euros in the shading of Rua do Comércio, up to Chapelaria Ideal, and Rua Diogo Tomé and the Mané restaurant. In addition, the municipality is negotiating, with the companies Saba and Empark, “the redemption of paid surface parking”.
Ao Sul Informação, Isilda Gomes said she hopes that "negotiations come to fruition." “If we succeed, we will try to alleviate the costs of people moving to the city centre. It's one thing to pay 80 cents, it's another to pay cheaper. We are still studying several aspects and possibilities, to see which is the most beneficial for the citizen, without burdening the Chamber», he concluded.
Photos: Pedro Lemos | Sul Informação
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