Over three days and three nights, the Mercado Oitocentista showed us how people lived, worked, ate and frolicked in a small rural village two hundred years ago. Because we never miss a trip back in time, we were in Arruda dos Vinhos taking snapshots to let you know what it was like.
To those vilafranquenses who may have been alarmed last Saturday by the presence of a gallant troop, armed with sabres, pistols and rifles, in front of the Museum of Neo-Realism, we can assure you: the guard was one of honour and their intentions were kind. Nor did the peasants who occupied part of the pavement pose any danger to public order, despite the sticks and pitchforks from which, for historical reasons, they are never separated.
They were there, along with many other friends of the Lines of Torres Vedras, to take part in the celebration of their National Day.
In a fortnight's time, a very small tree - perhaps a stone pine or a cork oak - will want to know who planted it on a steep hill in the Serra do Socorro. Perhaps an old copper eagle or a royal buzzard will remember seeing, from the heights where the eagles fly, some very lively and colourful children populating the hill with shoots as tall as they are; while groups of hikers, these much larger and with a very determined air, marched to the top of the mountain. Then the old birds will open their memory chests and show the photos from our gallery to the stone pines, the cork oaks and even a strawberry tree that has infiltrated the hosts.
As usual, and because the New Invasions Festival is already a classic, Invade magazine will publish an article about the 2023 edition, which took place from 31 August to 2 September. Because we don't know how to wait, we're bringing you the photos we took of three days of culture, entertainment and amazement in Torres Vedras.
'The final challenge was related to the response from the public, after a long period of lockdown, and with significantly altered participation conditions, compared to the Festival's 'normal' model. The answer was enlightening, showing a natural drop in participation compared to the 2019 festival, but with practically all sessions sold out.'
'The new invaders brought the plurality of ideas and of world visions, opening room to the utopias and changes of the everyday life, through artistic expression, culture, shared thinking and social conviviality. The festival is aimed at the general public and, in particular, to families seeking entertainment, leisure and knowledge, valuing initiatives that cross popular culture with contemporary artistic and creative expression practices, in an informal context and of interpersonal relationships.'
