What´s On in Porto Santo
Like their neighbours on Madeira, the folk of Porto Santo celebrate Carnival with gusto every February, with parties, dancing and street parades.The combined festivals of São João and Municipality Week go on for the four or five days around the 24th June municipal holiday. There are bands and folk dancing, parades with splendidly decorated floats, as well as all sorts of sports and cultural activities.
In the last week of August during the annual Wine Festival you can join in the party to celebrate the harvest, complete with public grape-stomping and complimentary wine tasting.
The Columbus Festival, held during the third week of September each year, involves a re-enactment of Columbus’s arrival on the island. As well as parades, a fair and open markets, there’s a variety of cultural events every night.
The festivals celebrating patron saints of local churches, can also be fun, with processions, fireworks and feasting.