Revived Brazilian Day Fest moves to Seaport Village

Brazilian Day Festival returns for its second year in San Diego on Sept. 14. One of the largest Brazilian events in the west coast, the festival promises family-friendly fun at Ruocco Park (585 Harbor Lane) from 2-10 p.m. in Seaport Village.

Saulo Fernandes is interrupting his tour through Brazil to fly to San Diego for the event. The Axé singer, who once led Banda Chica Fé and later Banda Eva before pursuing a solo career, has won awards as the best singer at Carnival.

“Being the amazing angel that he is, [Fernandes] is flying back from Brazil to come and do our event,” said event organizer Chef Brady Farmer.

Fernandes lives near San Diego when not on tour and has American citizenship— a key factor as Farmer and his wife Mariana planned the event. Over the past year, they witnessed many Brazilian artists get turned away at immigration when trying to get to US-based bookings. This led to event cancellations and huge financial losses for event planners like Jose and Samantha whom Farmer knows from last year’s festival.

“They lost all their money,” Farmer said. “You wouldn’t wish that on anyone, but it’s happening more and more.”

With that in mind, the couple searched for Brazilian musicians based in the U.S. like in Miami or L.A. as well as those with green cards or citizenship. In addition to headliner Fernandes, entertainers at the event include Los Angeles-based samba and pagode group Calisamba, local musician Wiri Andrade bringing immanently danceable forró tunes with Forró Touch, Jamaican-born hip hop and dancehall reggae entertainer DJ Suppamillz, and local martial arts and dance center Capoeira Luanda SD.

Under the organization Devoted to Youth Foundation, which hosts the Point Loma Farmer’s Market and other cultural festivals, this is the second year the couple is bringing Brazilian Day Festival to San Diego. The food, music, crafts and martial arts of Brazil come together in one place for immigrants and locals alike in this event.

“We’re also giving the Brazilians that are here… a day where they can go and be around all their friends and their whole culture and kind of feel like they’re back at home, and at the same time presenting it to the locals and bringing as many locals as we can to take part in that as well,” Farmer said.

Point Loma has one of the largest Brazilian populations in the country who fuel the popularity of the event. Despite rain, 5,000 people headed to Liberty Station to celebrate Brazilian culture last year for a festival which occurs across several countries. For 10 years, a previous rendition of Brazilian Day Festival brought tens of thousands to Mission Beach for a parade and street fair until bankruptcy canceled the celebration. Devoted to Youth’s revival of the event is a toned down, family friendly version with a spacious kid’s area inside a ticketed festival.

In addition to music and cultural performances, attendees can try the tastes of Brazil with dozens of food vendors. Plus, the festival’s alcohol garden has $5 happy hour prices. Tickets start at $18. More information and tickets available at devotedtoyouth.org/events/brazilian-day-festival-2024.