83rd Nossa Senhora Achiropita Festival

While you might come to Sao Paulo looking for a good churrasco, Paulistanos will likely push you to try something else that they find would be more interesting and worthy (much to a foreigner's disbelief): pizza. Italians flocked to the city in the early 20th century in search of a better life, finding work on coffee plantations after the abolishment of slavery, eventually blending their food tradition into the beans of Brazilian culture. Where this community would gather was in Bixiga, which has now become a low-rent, sleazy area with drug dealers openly selling on the streets at night, oddly gracing it with a certain charm (Naples, perhaps?). The remaining vestiges of the happy days are evident in the restaurants that line Rua 13 de Maio near Praca Dom Orione, the festive spirit of which culminates in the yearly Nossa Senhora Achiropita Festival that runs every August. Thousands of residents pack Bixiga and pig out on Italian fare at food stands lining the streets to the soundtrack of collective singing and dancing. The Nossa Senhora Achiropita church features a flat-rate program with entertainment and food, but sorry amore, it's sold out. But outside's where the party's at anyway. We've got the rundown.



What: 83rd Nossa Senhora Achiropita Festival

Where: Ruas 13 de Maio, Sao Vicente and Dr. Luiz Barreto

When: Weekends throughout the month of August: Saturdays from 6 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. and Sundays from 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

The food: Fogazza, polenta, pasta, antipastas, roasted eggplant, pizza, desserts, wine

Cost: Free entrance; food at stands start around R$4

More info: Nossa Senhora Achiropita Festival