Seventh Annual Cape Verdean Festival Saturday In Brooks Park

 HARWICH – The seventh annual Cape Verdean Festival will get underway on Saturday in Brooks Park. The day will be filled with the flavors of Cape Verde, from food to music and dance, an appreciation of the culture of the archipelago located 350 miles into the Atlantic Ocean off the west coast of Africa.

The annual event celebrates the culture, history and contributions of a diaspora that relocated to Southeastern Massachusetts in the mid-1800s —  especially to Harwich — and has made major contributions to the community. 

This year’s event will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the independence of Cape Verde, according to Warren Miranda, treasurer of the Harwich Cape Verdean Festival Committee. The festival is free to attend and will run from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

There is a wealth of history surrounding the contributions of Cape Verdeans in Southeastern Massachusetts starting in the 1800s, especially in the fishing and cranberry industries. That history should not be lost, said Angelo Barbosa, director of the Pedro Pires Institute for Cape Verdean Studies at Bridgewater State University, during a presentation at the festival last year.

Barbosa encouraged the large gathering to take the initiative to delve into the history. Southeastern Massachusetts is home to the largest concentration of Cape Verdeans in the country. 

The festival this year will honor the late Manuel “Buddy” Rose, who was born and raised in Harwich and was a strong supporter of the Cape Verdean community, Miranda said.  

Guest speakers will be State Rep. Kip A. Diggs, D-Barnstable, and a representative from the New Bedford Whaling Museum. The whaling museum has two exhibits about the Cape Verdean experience, the “Lens of Contemporary Art” and “Community Storytelling,” in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Cape Verdean independence from Portugal.

“It’s going well,” said Miranda of plans to grow the festival this year with more advertising. 

The Baptise Band of Brockton will fill the park with Cape Verdean rhythms, and the festival has added a 20-member female Cape Verdean dance group this year. There will be antique cars, face painting and plenty of games. Craft vendors will be marketing Cape Verdean items, books and clothing, and there will be a lot of educational information about the archipelago.

Cape Verdean cuisine is also a big attraction. 

Select Board Chair Donald Howell is expected to provide greetings and Sweet Al will once again be the emcee with DJ Rito Lopes of Brockton spinning music from the bandstand.

The festival raises funds to provide scholarships for Cape Verdean students. This year’s recipients will be announced during the festival.