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Lowell marks Dia de Portugal with parade, flag raising and cultural program
Summary
Attendees and organizers in Lowell celebrated Dia de Portugal with a parade, a flag raising at City Hall and performances, noting the event’s local history and emphasis on preserving Portuguese language and stories.
At a community event in Lowell, attendees and organizers marked Dia de Portugal with a parade, a flag raising at City Hall and cultural performances, participants said.
Alessandra Fisher, a reporter with Lowell Telemedia, said, "We are here to celebrate the Portuguese contributions to the city." Organizers and longtime participants described the gathering as an annual moment to showcase Portuguese music, dance, food and language.
The celebration in Lowell traces back to 1980, and organizers said this year marked the community’s 45th anniversary of the parade and flag raising. That history was a central theme for speakers, who urged documenting and passing down traditions through photos, recordings and digital archives.
Participants described several featured elements: a parade route beginning near the Blues Club, a flag-raising ceremony at City Hall, a community pageant that selects three representatives for the coming year, musical performances including Fado, and food vendors. An event speaker summarized the community’s goals, saying, "Today as we gather beneath the fluttering green and red of our beloved flag, we celebrate not only Portugal's history, but the living, breathing heritage of the Portuguese people in Massachusetts in Lowell and across the world." The speaker emphasized using modern tools — photographs, videos and digital archives — to keep language and culture alive for younger generations.
Attendees of varying ages took part. One parent noted that her 3-year-old has attended since birth; other participants described reconnecting with friends and relatives and seeing Lowell as a place that resembles celebrations in Portugal. A veteran who attends annually said the event brings back memories and that it is valuable to see new faces joining the traditions.
Organizers and speakers urged community members to record elders, share family recipes and preserve Portuguese-language stories so younger generations maintain ties to language and culture. The event included youth participants in the pageant and families who said they value the chance to gather, see familiar faces and pass on traditions.
No formal municipal actions or policy votes were taken during the event; it was a community celebration rather than a governmental meeting. Organizers encouraged continued participation and documentation of oral histories to sustain the community’s cultural legacy.
Community members closed the event with calls to "Viva Portugal" and an appeal for ongoing celebration and storytelling within Lowell’s Portuguese-American community.
