Encruzilhada do Sul, in the Rio Pardo Valley, is the only city in Rio Grande do Sul to maintain the tradition of Bumba Meu Boi. The festival has been held in the municipality since 1920 and has been recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Encruzilhada since 2023.
This year, the bull invades the city on the night of February 17th, starting at 8pm, and runs through some of the city’s main streets, with Praça Dr. Ozy Teixeira as its highlight, the central area, where children, young people and the elderly wait to “play” with the ox and say goodbye to the Carnival festivities.
Officialized by the City Hall on February 13, 1991, the festival is part of the official calendar of events in Encruzilhada do Sul and is one of the most popular celebrations in the municipality and the region. The coordinator of the Department of Culture of Encruzilhada do Sul, Cuca Neto, highlights the cultural recovery of the party. “We are ensuring the preservation, strengthening and propagation of this important popular and folkloric event. It’s a great show starring the Boi de Pano dancers”, he explains.
After the arrival of the bull, it will end with the Banda Cia Show 4, at 10pm. The festivity is part of the activities of Conecta Verão 2024, created by the city hall and SESC and which involves a circuit of culture, sport, leisure and entertainment. The attractions began on December 22, 2023 and continue until March 24.
Bumba My Boi
Bumba Meu Boi is a popular Brazilian folklore festival, which revolves around a legend about the death and resurrection of an ox. In these festivities, processions or other types of presentations are held, often on a competitive basis, during which groups called Bois perform shows using the figure of the animal. The event has links with different traditions: African, indigenous and European, including Catholic religious celebrations, being strongly associated with the June festival period.
Passage of Bumba Meu Boi
- When: February 17th
- Time: 8pm
- Where: streets of Encruzilhada do Sul
