The one-month “2023 Ferreira de Almeida Festival” kicked off on Saturday and will continue until December 23, featuring 11 cultural activities including music and dance performances, art exhibitions, an open-air cinema, and a flea market of over 30 booths and street stalls selling local handicrafts, all taking place in the São Lázaro district.
The district is a neighbourhood named after the S. Lázaro (St. Lazarus) Church, which used to house the leper community living in the city. The district is adjacent to Avenida de Conselheiro Ferreira de Almeida, hence the name of the festival.
The event is organised by the St. Lazarus Church District Creative Industries Promotion Association, and sponsored by the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO).
According to a statement by the organiser, the event aims to promote the cultural heritage and history of the neighbourhood to both residents and tourists, and thus enhance its economic vitality, which is “crucial for developing Macau’s community-based economies”. It added that the festival could attract more visitors to explore the currently less-known historic sites such as Calçada da Igreja de São Lázaro, Albergue da Santa Casa da Misericórdia (Albergue SCM) and Rua da Mitra, aiming to contribute to the diversification of Macau’s tourism development.
The flea market is open on Calçada da Igreja de São Lázaro daily from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., while the various art exhibitions and other thematic activities have different opening times and take place in different venues. More detailed information in English available in the following site: https://www.macaotourism.gov.mo/en/events/whatson/9759/
This photo taken on Sunday shows tourists checking out a street stall in the flea market on Calçada da Igreja de São Lázaro, one of the activities of the ongoing ‘2023 Ferreira de Almeida Festival’. – Photo: Gabriel Tam
