Museum hosting free Brazilian Independence Day Celebration on Sunday
Aug. 27—There will be a free 200th Brazilian Independence Day Celebration at Cape Ann Museum, 27 Pleasant St. in Gloucester on Sunday, Aug. 28, from 1 to 4 p.m.
Although the Independence Day of Brazil is officially celebrated on Sept. 7 to mark Brazil's Declaration of Independence from Portugal in 1822, this free celebration will take place in Gloucester sooner in a new program to celebrate the Brazilians who live here and share their culture with the community.
Cape Ann Museum and Action Inc. are working with local Brazilian residents to share Brazilian food, culture, music and dance at the event at the museum at 27 Pleasant St. in downtown Gloucester.
Those attending can taste salgadinhos — cheesy, vegetable or meat stuffing, wrapped in a baked or fried dough — or try capoeira, which combines elements of martial arts, dance, acrobatics, music and spirituality, among many other activities.
"We are surrounded by Brazilian culture here on Cape Ann and are excited to see this reflected within the museum," said museum director Oliver Barker. "The museum exists to tell the unique story of this place and the multiple communities that call Cape Ann home, and we hope that everyone will join in this fun afternoon of activities and celebration with several of our community partners."
The Brazilian community has been growing on Cape Ann, mostly in the downtown area, for more than 35 years. According to figures from Action Inc., more than 4,000 Brazilians live across Cape Ann, many of whom have started businesses including local restaurants, hair salons, stores and cleaning companies.
The afternoon program includes live music from Vidinha de Balada in the museum courtyard, photographs by Sergio Oshira on display inside the museum, a Capoeira MdP performance and a jiu jitsu performance by DF Fitness at City Hall, food for sale by Oliver's Harbor Restaurant, and free face painting and balloons in the sculpture garden.
There will be community tables representing Sawyer Free Library, The Open Door, the Gloucester Education Foundation, North Shore Community Health Center, Schooner Adventure, the Gloucester Human Rights Committee, and others.
In 2022, the Brazil Independence Day event is another in a number of key community celebrations that have been spearheaded by the Cape Ann Museum, including Gloucester's So Salty; second annual COVID-19 Memorial; Gloucester Juneteenth Festival; the Courtyard Concert Series; and concluding with Indigenous Heritage Day on Sept. 24 at the Cape Ann Museum Green campus.
For more information, visit www.capeannmuseum.org.
