All Saints' weekend in Portugal: Herman José in Trancoso, a soup festival in Góis and 3 more plans
Trancoso holds its 13th chestnut fair from 30 October to 1 November, Góis pairs honey, chestnuts and soup over the weekend, Chaves fills its streets with more than 500 stalls, José González opens Misty Fest in Lisbon and Saturday is Halloween. Friday's CP rail strike has been called off.
This is magusto weekend. All Saints’ Day falls on a Sunday, Halloween on the Saturday, and half the country lights a bonfire to roast chestnuts. Here are five plans, from the hills of the Beira Alta to a seated hall in Lisbon.
First, some good news if you are travelling on Friday. The CP strike by conductors and ticket staff planned for the 30th has been called off after the union met the infrastructure ministry, so trains should run as normal. We have updated our piece on this week’s strikes to match.
Trancoso: chestnuts and Herman José (Friday to Sunday)
The 13th Feira da Castanha e Paladares de Outono fills Trancoso’s Pavilhão Multiusos from 30 October to 1 November, with neighbouring Sabugal as guest municipality. Friday runs late. Francisco Menezes and Herman José do stand-up at 10pm, and the band Prós & Contras follow at 11.30pm.
Saturday brings a chestnut-pastry contest, a community magusto, the revue show “Sempre que a Revista Canta!” at 10pm and The Rockets at 11.30pm. On Sunday morning a mushroom walk leaves the tourist office at 9.30am, and the fair closes at 8pm after one last magusto. The local variety is the Martaínha chestnut, and there is a prize for the year’s best.
Góis: honey, chestnuts and a soup festival (Saturday and Sunday)
Góis council has published the programme for its Feira dos Santos, do Mel e da Castanha, held at the sports hall on 31 October and 1 November. Singer Rosinha is on at 9.30pm on Saturday. Sunday is the fuller day: the volunteer fire brigade serves its second soup festival from 12.30pm, the Serra do Ceira folk group dances at 4pm, and the closing magusto is lit at 5.30pm.
Chaves: the north’s big fair (Friday to Sunday)
More than 500 stalls, a livestock show at the Forte de São Neutel at 11am on Saturday and an octopus festival straight after. On Sunday afternoon a bagpipe band crosses the border from Verín for the parade. The full Feira dos Santos programme is in the piece we ran this week.
Lisbon: José González opens Misty Fest (Sunday)
The Swedish singer-songwriter plays the Coliseu dos Recreios on Sunday 1 November and Porto’s Coliseu on the Monday. It is the first of 35 Misty Fest shows spread across November, and a quiet guitar feels about right for a Sunday holiday.
Halloween with the kids (Saturday)
If Saturday is for costumes, there are bouncy castles in Portimão, a mystery hunt at the Benfica Museum, stories with music in Évora and a night in the library in Braga. Most need booking ahead, and our Halloween plans for families carry the times and prices.
Pick by distance. Trancoso and Góis are worth the drive for Sunday’s bonfire, and Lisbon is a metro ride.
Image: Afsalgado / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)