Make plans
What’s on for families in Portugal.
The festivals, fairs and seasonal events that families across Portugal plan their year around, plus meetups and workshops for kids of every age. The monthly newsletter brings a checked round-up of what’s coming, including plans outside your own area.
01The family year
Festivals and events worth planning around
Portugal's calendar is full of things children love: carnival parades, medieval fairs with costumed characters and street theatre, a whole town turned into a Christmas village, and the night in Porto when strangers tap each other on the head with plastic hammers. These come back every year, so you can plan ahead. Pick a month, a region or your child's age to narrow it down.
Dates move from year to year. Each event links to its official page, so check this year's dates before you book anything.
- Aug · Sep
À Noite no Jardim: bat night at Queluz
A few evenings in late August and early September (21 and 29 August and 4 September in 2026)
A biologist leads a two-hour dusk walk through Queluz Palace gardens, using ultrasound detectors to hear the bats hunting.
More about it
Parques de Sintra opens the formal gardens of the Palácio Nacional de Queluz after dark for International Bat Night. Biologist Mário Carmo leads the walk, starting at 19:30 at the palace entrance and lasting about two hours. As the light fades, the group looks for bats flying over the lakes, hedges and statues, and uses ultrasound detectors to turn their echolocation calls into sounds people can hear. Children learn which species live there and how they hunt.
It is aimed at families with children over 6, and the route is accessible. Walks are in Portuguese. In 2025 tickets were €12 for adults and €10 for ages 6–17; the 2026 ticket page listed €15 per person, and dates ran from 21 August to 4 September. Places are limited, so book through the Parques de Sintra ticket office.
Bring a torch and comfortable shoes, and dress for the evening temperature.
Paid entry
- Sep
Caramulo Motorfestival
Three days in early September (4–6 September in 2026; 3–5 September 2027 announced)
Classic cars race up a mountain hill climb while children drive electric karts, race slot cars and try driving simulators in Motorlândia.
More about it
Every September the mountain village of Caramulo fills with more than 1,700 classic and sports cars, motorbikes and aircraft for Portugal’s biggest motor festival. The headline is the Rampa Histórica, a timed hill climb up the village road, followed by parades of classic cars. There is also an air show.
Children head for Motorlândia, the kids’ zone. It has a Formula 1 slot-car track, a junior track, a kart track, remote-controlled cars on a Valorpneu circuit, inflatables and a rest area. Children aged 6 and over can drive electric karts, and seven driving simulators are spread around the village, including a Lotus 97T replica at the Caramulo Experience Center.
Listings for 2026 said entry to the festival grounds is free, while the Museu do Caramulo and some experiences are ticketed. The 2026 edition drew about 60,000 people, so arrive early. Bring ear defenders for small children near the hill climb.
Free with paid extras
- Sep
Encontros Mágicos
About six days in mid September (15 to 20 September in 2026)
Coimbra's international magic festival fills the city's squares with free street magic, and runs free magic lessons for children aged 6 to 12.
More about it
Encontros Mágicos has run in Coimbra since 1992, organised by the city council and produced by the magician Luís de Matos’s company. The 30th edition was from 15 to 20 September 2026.
Most of it is free and outdoors. Magicians perform in squares, streets and the municipal market from 10:30 into the evening, and in 2026 the festival ended with a morning show in Parque Vale das Flores. Only the two international galas at the Convento São Francisco are paid (€20 or €22.50 in 2026).
The best part for a magic-mad child is the free magic lessons at the Convento, held on weekday evenings at 18:00 and on Saturday morning. In 2024 they were for ages 6 to 12, with 20 places per class, and you registered by phone (239 857 191) or email (bilheteira@coimbraconvento.pt). There was also a session adapted for children with special needs. Places are limited, so register as soon as the programme appears in early September.
Free with paid extras
- Aug · Sep
Feira do Livro do Porto
About two and a half weeks from late August to early September
Porto's book fair fills the Palácio de Cristal gardens with stalls and a big free family programme, from baby sessions to workshops for teens.
More about it
The Feira do Livro do Porto sets up in the Jardins do Palácio de Cristal, the city’s big hilltop park, each late summer. The 2026 edition ran from 21 August to 6 September, and entry is free.
The family programme is large. In 2026 it had 83 sessions for babies, children, young people and families, including storytelling for different ages, illustration, poetry, collage and book-making workshops, theatre and puppets, film screenings, traditional games and music. Sessions start from 18 months, with sensory sessions for babies and separate events for pre-teens and teenagers. Some activities need a free ticket or booking in advance.
There are changing facilities and accessible spaces. The gardens are shady but sloping, and have peacocks wandering about, which small children tend to enjoy between stalls. Opening was from midday on weekdays and 11:00 at weekends, until 21:00 or 22:00. Check Porto’s cultural agenda for this year’s dates and the children’s timetable.
Free entry
- Sep
Festa das Vindimas de Palmela
About six days in early September
Palmela's grape-harvest festival, running for more than 60 years, has children carrying baskets of grapes through town and a public treading of the grapes.
More about it
Palmela, a castle town on the hills north of the Serra da Arrábida, marks the start of the grape harvest every September. The 63rd edition ran from 3 to 8 September 2026.
Two traditions are worth planning around. In the Cortejo dos Camponeses (farmers’ parade), children and young people carry baskets of grapes from the vineyards through the town, as they have since the first festival. Later the same morning comes the Pisa da Uva, the treading of the grapes by foot, followed by a blessing of the first must (fresh grape juice) at the main church. In 2026 there was also a children’s morning at Largo de São João and a harvest parade in the evening.
The programme lists no entry charges. Palmela is steep, and events are spread across its squares and the wine market, so download the map from the official site. In 2026 the farmers’ parade and the grape treading were both on the Sunday morning; check the programme for this year’s times.
Free entry
- Sep
MagicValongo
A weekend in late September (25 to 27 September in 2026)
A long-running magic festival near Porto, with a magic fair, free street magic and close-up contests, and two international galas for €7.50.
More about it
MagicValongo is an international magic festival held each September in Valongo, just outside Porto, and 2026 was its 35th edition (25 to 27 September). The main venue is the Fórum Cultural de Ermesinde.
Over the weekend there is a magic fair, close-up and stage competitions, talks for magicians and two international gala shows. The free street magic moves around: in 2025 it was by Ermesinde station, and in 2026 it was in the Parque Vale do Leça in Alfena alongside a toy festival.
The galas cost €7.50 on valongo.bol.pt and were rated for ages 6 and up in 2025. The competitions and street magic are free, though in 2025 seats for the free indoor shows had to be booked on the same site. Dates move slightly each year, so watch the council’s events page from late summer.
Free with paid extras
- May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct
Noites de Morcegos in Porto's parks
About ten Friday evenings from late spring to early autumn (19 June to 25 September in 2026)
Free family bat nights in a different Porto park each time, with bat detectors that let you hear the calls.
More about it
Porto City Council runs a free series of bat evenings for families, each in a different green space. Bat detectors pick up the ultrasound calls, so children can “see with their ears” as bats hunt insects over the park.
In 2026 there were ten nights between 19 June and 25 September, moving between Parque Urbano Dr. Mário Soares, Parque de S. Roque, Quinta do Covelo, Parque Oriental, the Viveiro Municipal, Parque da Cidade, Horta da Oliveira, Parque Central da Asprela, the Palácio de Cristal gardens and Parque das Virtudes. The 2025 series ran from May to October, starting between 18:45 and 21:00 depending on sunset.
Places are free but registration is compulsory through the council’s Eco Agenda, and it opens only about nine or ten days before each night. Every 2026 session showed as closed when we checked, so watch the page from spring and sign up quickly.
Free entry
- Oct
Expo Animal Braga
A weekend in October (10–11 October in 2026)
More than 1,000 dogs compete at Forum Braga, with a cat show, exotic animals and a family dog walk.
More about it
Expo Animal fills more than 7,800 m² of Forum Braga with dogs, cats and exotic animals for one weekend each October. It is organised by InvestBraga with the Portuguese kennel and feline clubs.
The core is two dog shows: the national show on Saturday and the international show on Sunday, with more than 1,000 dogs of dozens of breeds judged in the ring and a Best in Show at the end. There is also an international cat show and an exotic animals area; in 2025 that included parrots, owls, snakes, tarantulas, scorpions and chameleons. Workshops on pet care, demonstrations by the prison service’s dog unit, a pigeon release and the Cãominhada, a dog walk from Forum Braga to the Camélias dog park, filled the rest of the 2025 programme.
The 2026 edition runs on 10 and 11 October, 10:00–19:00. Day tickets cost €2 for ages 4–10 and €3.50 from 11 when checked in September 2026, and under-3s go free. Buy on MEO Blueticket or at the Forum Braga box office. Parking in the car parks next to Forum Braga is free.
Paid entry
- Apr · Oct
FERMODEL and EXPOTRENS model-railway shows
EXPOTRENS on a weekend in April; FERMODEL on a weekend in October (10–11 October in 2026)
Two free weekend shows of miniature trains in Cascais: EXPOTRENS in April and FERMODEL, with an 18-metre layout, in October.
More about it
Cascais has two free model-railway shows a year, both run by train-modelling clubs with support from the council and parish.
EXPOTRENS is the N Club’s show at the Pavilhão do Complexo Desportivo de Alcabideche, held in April since at least 2023 (18–19 April in 2026, its fourth edition). Layouts come in H0, N and the tiny Z scale, and FERMODEL brought a layout of about 18 metres in 2026. There are specialist shops and modelling associations too.
FERMODEL is the Portuguese Märklin model-railway association’s own show, held every October since 2022 at the Pavilhão dos Lombos in Carcavelos, across two sports halls. The 2026 edition is on 10 and 11 October, 10:00–19:00, with model railways, “animations and surprises for children” and a family programme.
Both are indoor, so they work in any weather. Dates move by a week or two each year; the FERMODEL archive lists them.
Free entry
- Oct
Festival de Observação de Aves de Sagres
Four days in early October, during the autumn migration
Portugal's biggest birdwatching festival runs bird ringing, boat trips, beginner walks and children's sessions at Sagres during the autumn migration.
More about it
Each autumn thousands of migrating birds pass over Sagres, at the south-west tip of mainland Portugal, on their way south for the winter. Vila do Bispo council, the bird charity SPEA and the conservation group Almargem have run a festival for it every year since 2008. The 17th edition runs from 2 to 5 October 2026. In 2025 it drew 1,244 people and recorded 148 bird species.
There are birdwatching trips on land and at sea, walks, talks and art workshops, plus beginner birdwatching sessions for families. Bird ringing, where scientists catch, measure and release wild birds so you can see them up close, sold out in earlier years, so in 2026 a third ringing team works at a new site. Younger children get their own sessions, such as “Is this an insect?”, a musical-eggs workshop and a sung story.
Activities are booked through the festival website, and registration opens about a month ahead. Many start early, and the cliffs are windy, so bring layers and binoculars if you have them.
Free with paid extras
- Oct · Nov · Dec · Jan · Feb · Mar
Nazaré big-wave season
October to March, on the days a big Atlantic swell arrives
In winter, surfers towed by jet skis ride some of the biggest waves in the world below Nazaré's lighthouse fort, and you can watch from the cliff.
More about it
The giant waves at Praia do Norte come between October and March, with January and February often best. Only one to six really big swells arrive in a season, and forecasts reach about a week ahead, so there is no date to book: watch the forecast and webcams and go at short notice. The WSL tow-surfing contest has a waiting window through the winter and is confirmed about 48 hours before.
Watch from the headland beside the lighthouse at the Forte de São Miguel Arcanjo, which closes on competition days. On big days, park outside the Sítio and expect to walk more than a kilometre, or take the funicular up. Bring non-slip shoes, layers, waterproofs and snacks, as toilets are few. Keep children well back from the cliff edges.
For the fort, the funicular and the science of the waves, see our Nazaré fort and Praia do Norte guide.
Free entry
- Nov
Feira Internacional de Minerais, Gemas e Fósseis de Coimbra
Three days in late November (28–30 November in 2025)
The University of Coimbra's yearly fair of minerals, gems and fossils, in the old Earth Sciences building beside the Science Museum.
More about it
The University of Coimbra’s Earth Sciences department has run this fair of minerals, gems and fossils for more than 30 years. The 31st edition was on 28–30 November 2025, from 10:00 on the Friday to 20:00 on the Sunday.
It takes place in the old Earth Sciences rooms at the Colégio de Jesus on Largo Marquês de Pombal, in the university’s Polo I, a space that now belongs to the Museu da Ciência. The Geosciences Centre and the Science Museum help organise it. The university’s announcements describe a selling and exhibition fair; they do not list a children’s programme, so treat it as a chance for a rock-collecting child to browse and ask questions.
Entry is free: you don’t need a ticket for the exhibition area or the stalls. The fair sits inside the Science Museum’s building, so ask on the day whether the museum’s own mineral and geology collections are open free that weekend; the official listings don’t say. Check the department’s news page in the autumn for this year’s dates. Pair it with the museum’s own collections, or the Exploratório if younger children need something more hands-on.
Free entry
- Nov
Feira Nacional do Cavalo
About ten days in early to mid November, around São Martinho (11 November)
Golegã's November horse fair fills the town with riders, carriages, show jumping and a side-saddle parade, with roast chestnuts for São Martinho's Day.
More about it
Golegã calls itself Portugal’s horse capital, and each November the town is given over to horses. The fair combines the old São Martinho market with an international fair for the Lusitano breed. There is show jumping, dressage, working equitation, a carriage-driving championship, endurance rides and displays by the national riding school, and the organisers describe the equestrian programme as free to watch.
St Martin’s Day, 11 November, is the one to aim for with children. In 2025 it brought a pilgrims’ procession through town, a parade of women riding side-saddle in the Largo do Arneiro at 13:00, and the traditional magusto with roast chestnuts.
The 2025 fair, the 49th, ran from 7 to 16 November. The 2026 programme hadn’t been published on the official site when we checked in September 2026, though an unofficial guide’s countdown pointed to early November. Horses move through crowded streets, so keep nervous children behind the barriers. Weekends are the busiest.
Free entry
- Nov
Festa do Castanheiro e Feira da Castanha
One weekend in early November, around São Martinho
A chestnut festival inside the walls of a clifftop castle village, with roasting fires in the streets, folk music and free entry for under-12s.
More about it
Marvão sits on a granite crag near the Spanish border, and every November its streets fill with smoke from chestnut roasting. The festival is the town’s version of the magusto, the autumn tradition of eating roast chestnuts around São Martinho’s Day (11 November). In 2025, the 41st edition, it ran on the weekend of 8 and 9 November, with about four tonnes of local chestnuts and 1,000 litres of wine.
The fair opens on the Saturday morning with a blessing of the chestnuts, and the magustos, several roasting points around the village, start at the same time. Over the weekend there are folk groups, drummers, Alentejo cante singing, brass bands and circus acts, plus stalls of local produce and crafts.
Entry was €2 for adults when checked, free for children up to 12, and the money goes to Marvão’s volunteer fire brigade. The village is small, walled and steep, with little room for cars, so check the council’s page for parking arrangements. It can be cold and windy on the rock in November.
Paid entry
- Nov
Lisboa Games Week
Four days, Thursday to Sunday, in the second half of November
Portugal's biggest video game fair takes over the FIL halls at Parque das Nações for four days of new games, esports, racing simulators, VR and cosplay.
More about it
Lisboa Games Week fills the FIL exhibition centre at Parque das Nações every November with playable new releases, gaming kit, esports competitions, sim racing, virtual and augmented reality, cosplay and guest appearances. It bills itself as the country’s biggest video game event, and schools can book study visits.
The 2026 edition runs from 19 to 22 November. When checked, a weekday ticket (Thursday or Friday) was €15 and a weekend ticket €20. A family pack for two adults and two children aged 7 to 12 was €60, and under-6s go free; bring proof of your children’s ages, as it is checked at the door. Every ticket allows one entry only, so you cannot pop out and come back.
This is a treat for gaming-mad older children and teenagers. The halls are loud, bright and crowded, especially at weekends, which can be hard on a child who is sensitive to noise. Queues for the popular demos can be long, so go early on a weekday if you can. Oriente metro and train station is a short walk away.
Paid entry
- Nov · Dec · Jan
Natal na Vila, Mafra
Late November to 6 January
Mafra's Christmas village sets up beside the huge royal palace with an ice rink, a Christmas circus, a carousel and Father Christmas's house.
More about it
Each Christmas the council sets up a Christmas village on the Terreiro D. João V, the square in front of the Palácio Nacional de Mafra, with a smaller programme in Ericeira’s Praça da República. The 2025 season ran from 29 November to 6 January.
There is an ice rink, a Christmas circus, a carousel, a house where children can visit Father Christmas, nativity scenes, music, children’s activities and a Christmas market. Walking around is free. Tokens for the carousel and the ice rink are sold on site, and the circus has its own tickets.
It is on a smaller scale than the big Lisbon markets, which can suit toddlers. You can pair it with a daytime visit to the palace, which is a separate paid visit. Check the council’s Natal na Vila page for this year’s programme and circus times.
Free with paid extras
- Nov · Dec · Jan
Óbidos Vila Natal
Late November to the first days of January, daily except Christmas Day and New Year's Day
A walled medieval town turns into a ticketed Christmas village with an ice slide, Father Christmas's office and a sweet-making workshop.
More about it
Each year the Christmas village sets up inside the castle walls of Óbidos around a new theme (2025 was a “Great Christmas Factory”). The ticket covers most of what children want to do: a visit to Father Christmas in his office, an ice slide, shows on two stages, face painting, a toy factory for crafts and a sweet-making workshop. Some things cost extra. When we checked, the ice rink was €6 for a 15-minute session (age 6 and up), a short elf escape room was €5, and the train and the carousel were €3 each.
The 2025 edition ran from 28 November to 4 January and closed on 25 December and 1 January. Dates, opening hours and prices change each year, so check the official site before you book.
Óbidos is small, steep and cobbled. December weekends get very busy, so a weekday visit is calmer, and a sling copes better than a buggy on the lanes.
Paid entry
- Nov · Dec · Jan
Perlim
Late November to late December (the 2025 edition ran on to 5 January), afternoons, closed on some weekdays
A Christmas theme park in the woods of Quinta do Castelo with its own fairy-tale characters, a circus, an ice rink and weekend parades.
More about it
Perlim is a Christmas theme park set up each winter at Quinta do Castelo, the wooded grounds below Santa Maria da Feira’s castle. It has its own cast of characters and stories (children can visit the castle of Fada Piri, where thousands of wishes have been left), plus a Christmas market, an ice rink, weekend “Dream Parades” and a circus with daily shows.
The 2025 edition opened from 29 November, 13:30 to 19:00, and ran into early January. It was closed on several weekdays and on 24, 25 and 31 December, so check the calendar before you drive. When checked, day tickets were €7 to €9 depending on age and day, with children up to 2 free and a family ticket available. The official site says visits must be booked at least 48 hours ahead.
Much of it is outdoors among trees, so dress for cold and damp. Weekends are busiest. The park lists accessible facilities under “Perlim Acessível”.
Paid entry
- Nov · Dec · Jan
Presépio Gigante de Vila Real de Santo António
Late November to 6 January, daily 10:00 to 13:00 and 14:30 to 19:00 (2025 dates)
A 240 m² nativity scene with 6,000 figures, around 100 of them motorised, plus lakes, moving lights and scenes of Algarve life.
More about it
Vila Real de Santo António bills this as the biggest nativity scene in Portugal. The 23rd edition, for Christmas 2025, had 6,000 figures spread over 240 m² of the Centro Cultural António Aleixo on Rua Teófilo Braga. About 100 of them are motorised, and there are lakes and moving lights too.
The fun for children is spotting things. Alongside the Bible story, the builders put in scenes a local child would know: the town’s Praça Marquês de Pombal, salt pans, traditional water wheels (noras) and the beach huts of Monte Gordo. Building it took a team of five 2,500 hours over 40 days, with more than 20 tonnes of sand and 3,000 kg of cork.
In 2025 it ran from 29 November to 6 January, daily 10:00 to 13:00 and 14:30 to 19:00, with shorter hours on 24, 25 and 31 December and 1 January. Entry was free under 4 and €1 from age 4. Expect a similar run each year; the council announces dates in late November.
Paid entry
- Aug · Nov
Sexta 13: Noite das Bruxas
Every Friday the 13th, from 13:13 until after midnight. The next dates are 13 November 2026 and 13 August 2027
On every Friday the 13th, the mountain town of Montalegre fills with people dressed as witches and demons, with parades, stages and fireworks at the castle.
More about it
Montalegre, in the mountains of Trás-os-Montes, has marked every Friday the 13th since 2002 with a “night of the witches”, and calls itself Portugal’s capital of mysticism. Because it follows the calendar, the months change each year. In the twelve months from September 2026 there are two: 13 November 2026 and 13 August 2027.
At the March 2026 edition, people dressed as witches and demons paraded through the streets from 13:13. Music started on the town square stage at 21:30, and at 23:00 a show and a fireworks display set to music lit up the castle stage. A DJ played from midnight. Everything was free, and the council says the June 2025 edition drew thousands.
For children, the afternoon parade and the castle fireworks are the best parts. It is crowded and loud late at night, and November in the mountains is cold, so dress warmly. The council posts each programme shortly before the date.
Free entry
- Nov · Dec · Jan
Wonderland Lisboa
Late November to the first weekend of January, afternoons and evenings
Lisbon's big Christmas market fills Parque Eduardo VII with a Ferris wheel, an ice rink, Father Christmas's house and food stalls, and entry is free.
More about it
Every winter the top of Parque Eduardo VII, above Marquês de Pombal, becomes a Christmas fair. Entry is free, and the main attractions are a Ferris wheel with views over the city, an ice rink, a house where children can meet Father Christmas, a giant Christmas tree and a market of crafts, hot drinks and food. The rides and the rink are the paid extras.
The 2025 edition was the tenth and ran from 28 November to 4 January. It opens in the afternoon and stays open into the evening, later on Fridays and weekends; check the organisers’ social media for this year’s hours.
It gets very crowded on December evenings and weekends, and the park slopes steeply, which is hard work with a buggy. Arriving on a weekday afternoon means shorter queues for the wheel. The Parque and Marquês de Pombal metro stations are a short walk away, so leave the car at home.
Free with paid extras
- Dec
Feira Internacional de Minerais, Gemas e Fósseis (Lisbon)
Four days in early December, usually including the 8 December holiday (5–8 December in 2025)
Lisbon's long-running mineral and fossil fair at the natural history museum, with free hands-on sessions on dinosaur bones and tiny fossils.
More about it
Since 1988 the Museu Nacional de História Natural e da Ciência (MUHNAC) in Lisbon has held an international fair of minerals, gems and fossils each December. Dealers sell crystals, polished stones and fossils, and the museum’s scientists run activities alongside the stalls.
In 2025, the 38th edition, the theme was “minerals that move the world”. Families could look at dinosaur footprints and bones, search sediment for fossils of tiny vertebrates, watch copper being extracted from minerals, see a tsunami simulation and watch rock layers being folded. Entry to the fair and every activity was free.
The 2025 fair ran from 5 to 8 December: 15:00–20:00 on the Friday, 10:00–20:00 at the weekend and 10:00–18:00 on the Monday holiday. The dates for 2026 were not out when we checked, but early December is the pattern. Bring some cash if your child wants to take home a stone; prices on the stalls vary a lot.
Free entry
- Dec · Jan
Festa dos Rapazes
Between Christmas and Epiphany (6 January), with 25 December the main day in many villages
Between Christmas and Epiphany, masked young men in Trás-os-Montes villages run through the streets in an old winter ritual of noise, pranks and teasing.
More about it
In the far north-east, the midwinter “boys’ festival” is a very old tradition tied to the winter solstice. Unmarried young men put on masks and costumes, go out into the streets, chase the girls and call out the village gossip. It is seen as a ritual of cleansing and renewal, with bagpipes and drums to drive out bad luck.
The tradition is strongest in the villages of Bragança municipality, including Aveleda, Babe, Varge, Rio Frio, Salsas and Grijó de Parada, and it also survives around Miranda do Douro, Mirandela and Mogadouro. Christmas Day is the main date in many villages, but different places hold theirs on different days up to Epiphany.
This is village life, not a staged show, so there is no ticket office or timetable. Each village keeps its own dates and customs, so ask at the Bragança tourist office before you go. It is cold, and the masked figures can scare small children.
Free entry
- Dec · Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr
Snow season on the Serra da Estrela
Roughly December to April, whenever there is enough snow
Mainland Portugal's only ski slopes sit near Torre, the highest point, with gentle beginner runs and lessons for children from age 4.
More about it
The ski station near Torre sits at about 1,850 to 1,980 metres, around 20 km from Covilhã, and uses snow cannons to top up the natural snow. The season usually runs from December into April, but it depends on the weather, and the station opens runs only when conditions allow.
The 2025/26 season opened on 18 December with three short, very easy runs. When checked, a child’s day pass (ages 4 to 12) was €20 with your own kit or €50 with equipment hire, and adults paid €30 or €60. Lessons of about an hour were €20 to €30 for children.
If your children just want to touch snow, you do not need a ski pass to enjoy the mountain on a snowy day. Weekends are the busiest, and roads up to Torre can be affected by snow and ice, so check conditions before you set off. Bring waterproof gloves and spare socks.
Paid entry
- Jan · Feb
PET Festival
A long weekend in late January or early February (6–8 February in 2026; 29–31 January 2027 announced)
Lisbon's big pet festival at FIL, with areas for dogs, cats, birds, horses, reptiles and farm animals, plus a children's playground.
More about it
The PET Festival takes over two pavilions of the FIL exhibition centre in Parque das Nações every winter. It is split into animal “worlds”: dogs, cats, a bird temple, small mammals, fish, an exotic walk with reptiles and insects, farm animals and horses. The 2026 programme listed about 250 events, with a filter for children’s activities and a playground. In 2025 there were contests, grooming, demonstrations, talks and, for the first time, canicross and dog-pulling races.
Pets come in free, subject to the organisers’ entry conditions, so expect a lot of dogs in the aisles. That can be hard for a child who is nervous of dogs.
The 2025 edition was the 13th. Dates moved from 30 January–1 February (2025) to 6–8 February (2026), and the 2027 festival is announced for 29–31 January, 10:00–22:00 on Friday and Saturday and 10:00–20:00 on Sunday. Ticket prices for 2027 were “coming soon” when we checked.
Paid entry
- Feb · Mar
Amendoeira em Flor
About three weeks from late February to mid March, when the almond trees flower
When the almond orchards of the Côa valley turn white and pink, Foz Côa holds three weeks of folk dancing, a country fair and local food.
More about it
In late winter the terraced hills around Vila Nova de Foz Côa, where the Douro meets the Côa, are covered in almond blossom. The town has celebrated it for more than four decades; 2026 was the 45th edition and ran from 20 February to 14 March.
The programme mixes the flowers with local traditions. In 2026 it included a gathering of folk dance groups (ranchos), a traditional country fair with an ethnographic parade, and the “Partida da Amêndoa”, the cracking of the almonds, to close. There were also regional produce stalls, street entertainment, exhibitions and concerts around the municipality.
Walking or driving among the orchards costs nothing; check the programme for any ticketed concerts. The blossom depends on the weather and can peak earlier or later than the festival, so look for recent photos before a long drive. Foz Côa is also the base for the Côa Valley rock art, which makes a good second day.
Free entry
- Feb
AstroGeoFest
Four days in mid-February (12–15 February in 2026, the second edition)
A free fair of minerals, fossils and meteorites at Porto's planetarium, with gold panning, a volcano demo and a micrometeorite hunt.
More about it
AstroGeoFest brings rocks from Earth and from space together at the Planetário do Porto. Stallholders sell minerals, fossils and meteorites, and displays show off Portugal’s geological heritage.
The drop-in workshops are the draw for children. At the 2026 edition, children from 3 could watch a volcanic eruption simulation. From age 6 there was gold panning, a workshop on how minerals split and break, glowing minerals in a dark room, water experiments, a hunt for micrometeorites (tiny grains of space dust) and a planetarium session called “Somos os Guardiões”. Talks for older children and adults covered metals, ancient seas and prospecting.
Entry is free and nothing needs booking: activities are first come, first served until full, so arrive near opening at 10:00. The 2026 fair ran Thursday to Sunday, until 19:30 (17:00 on Sunday). It is only in its second year, so check the planetarium’s events page in January for dates.
Free entry
- Feb · Mar
Entrudo Chocalheiro de Podence
Carnival weekend to Shrove Tuesday, which moves with Easter (February or early March)
In a small Trás-os-Montes village, masked caretos in fringed costumes run through the streets rattling cowbells at their belts, a carnival UNESCO has recognised.
More about it
Podence’s carnival was added to UNESCO’s list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2019. The caretos wear suits covered in thick red, yellow and green wool fringes, painted masks of brass, leather or wood, and belts strung with rattles and bells (chocalhos), and they run through the village making as much noise as they can.
The 2026 festival ran from 14 to 17 February. On the Saturday the Facanitos, the village’s child caretos, came out, and visitors could paint their own mask in the careto workshop. On Carnival Sunday afternoon the caretos ran loose through the streets. The last day ended with the Queima do Entrudo, a burning of the carnival figure, at the Eira do Careto. There is also a small Careto museum.
Big kids tend to love the chaos; toddlers and anxious children may find masked figures charging past frightening, so watch from a doorway first. Many activities, such as mask painting, need booking by email or phone. Podence is a small village and gets very busy, so arrive early.
Free with paid extras
- Mar
Festival Internacional de Chocolate de Óbidos
Usually three weekends in March, Fridays to Sundays
Three spring weekends of giant chocolate sculptures, live demonstrations by pastry chefs and art-with-chocolate workshops for children.
More about it
Óbidos has held a chocolate festival since 2002, now spread over three weekends each spring. The 2026 edition, themed “Arte”, ran from 6 to 22 March, Fridays to Sundays from 10:00 to 21:00.
The big draw for children is the sculpture. In 2026 there were eight large chocolate pieces, sculptors working live, and a Chocolate Art Museum with work made during artist residencies, while more than 100 chefs gave demonstrations. Younger visitors had their own workshops, including a Miró-inspired session making art with chocolate and a Gaudí-style mosaic activity, plus a play space called A Casa da Mariquinhas.
General tickets were €10 from age 12 and €8 for ages 3 to 11 when checked, sold online and at local box offices. It is a busy event inside a small walled town, so arrive early on Saturdays and expect queues at the popular stands; a child who struggles with crowds may cope better on a Friday. The weekends move each year, so check the festival site for the next dates.
Paid entry
- Mar
Monstrinha
About ten days in March, with family screenings at weekends
The children's strand of Lisbon's MONSTRA animation festival shows short films picked for each age group, from 2 to 16, in the city's cinemas.
More about it
MONSTRA is Lisbon’s animation festival, and Monstrinha is its programme for children and teenagers. Sessions are grouped by age, from about 2 to 16, and the films deal with friendship, empathy and identity in ways that leave room to talk afterwards. Schools come on weekdays; families have their own sessions at weekends.
The 2026 edition, the festival’s 25th, ran from 12 to 22 March at Cinema São Jorge, the Cinemateca and its children’s space Cinemateca Júnior, and Cinema City Alvalade. It opened with Suzie Templeton’s stop-motion Peter and the Wolf, played with a live wind orchestra. A related exhibition of Latvian puppet animation ran at the Puppet Museum.
Sessions are short, which suits younger children, and the cinemas are indoors, so it is a good rainy-day plan. Check the festival site for this year’s programme and ticket prices.
Paid entry
- Apr
Oeiras BRInCKa
Three days in late April (24–26 April in 2026)
A LEGO fan show in Porto Salvo with more than 6 million bricks, large dioramas, live building and a themed centrepiece each year.
More about it
BRInCKa turns the sports hall of the Clube Recreativo Leões de Porto Salvo into a LEGO exhibition for three days each spring. The club runs it with PLUG, the Portuguese LEGO users’ association, and the 2026 edition was the eighth.
The 2026 show used more than 6 million bricks. Its theme was Super Mario, with a 24 m² mosaic of more than 100,000 pieces, live building and a games-console area, plus zones for Star Wars, space, Disney and LEGO Technic.
It opened 10:00–20:00 on Friday and Saturday and 10:00–18:00 on Sunday. Tickets were €5–7.50, with family packs (two adults and up to two children aged up to 17) from €20, when checked in September 2026. Under-4s go free, and children up to 12 must come with a paying adult. A day ticket allows one entry only, so you cannot pop out and come back. Watch the Oeiras council agenda in early spring for next year’s dates.
Paid entry
- Apr · May
Ovibeja
Five days around the end of April and the start of May
The Alentejo's big farming fair puts about 350 sheep, goats, pigs and cattle on show in Beja, and children up to 12 get in free.
More about it
Ovibeja is a farming fair held each spring at the Parque de Feiras e Exposições in Beja; the “ovi” in the name comes from ovinos, sheep. The 42nd edition ran from 29 April to 3 May 2026.
The livestock pavilion is the reason to bring children. It holds around 350 animals of different breeds, from sheep and goats to pigs and cattle, which is close contact with farm animals many city children never get. Around it are exhibitors’ stands and a programme of evening shows.
Children up to and including 12 go free. When checked, an adult day ticket was €8, with a pass for all days at €30. The gates open at 11:00 and stay open until midnight, except on the last day, which closes at 19:00. Late April can already be hot in Beja, so the late morning, soon after opening, is a good time to see the animals. Check the official site for this year’s dates.
Paid entry
- May · Jun
Feira do Livro de Lisboa
About three weeks from late May to mid June, every day from midday (10:00 at weekends)
Hundreds of publishers' stalls fill Parque Eduardo VII for three weeks, with free children's workshops and a book-filled sleepover for 8 to 10 year olds.
More about it
Lisbon’s book fair has run for nearly a century. The 96th edition, in 2026, ran from 27 May to 14 June, with about 350 publishers’ and booksellers’ pavilions lining the slopes of Parque Eduardo VII. Entry is free.
Lisbon’s municipal libraries run the children’s programme, with workshops, games and book launches. In 2026 there was also “Acampar com Histórias”, a night sleeping among books at the Estufa Fria greenhouse for children aged 8 to 10 (€25, booking needed). For parents, the “Hora H” on weekday evenings brings discounts of at least 50% on older titles.
The fair has accessible toilets with changing tables, baby-care spaces for feeding and changing, and a couple of free buggies to borrow from the information desks. The park is steep, so expect to push uphill. Hours run from midday on weekdays and from 10:00 at weekends into the late evening. The dates move a little each year, so check APEL’s announcement.
Free entry
- May · Jun
MINIMO model-railway meet
A weekend at the end of May or start of June, around Children's Day (30–31 May in 2026)
Model-railway clubs from Portugal and Spain fill the national railway museum with working layouts, plus mini-train rides and a driving simulator.
More about it
MINIMO is a free weekend of model railways at the Museu Nacional Ferroviário in Entroncamento, the town that grew up around a railway junction. Clubs from Portugal and Spain bring working layouts: scale stations, landscapes and locomotives running on miniature track. The fifth edition ran on 30 and 31 May 2026, timed to lead into Children’s Day on 1 June, and earlier editions fell on the same late-May or early-June weekend.
Children can ride the museum’s Minicomboio, a small train that takes about eight minutes to loop the grounds, and try an electric locomotive driving simulator. The organisers also plan activities for younger visitors, and there is a food court. In 2026 it opened 10:30–19:00 on Saturday and 10:30–18:00 on Sunday.
Entry to the show is free. Check the museum website before you go to see whether the rest of the collection needs a normal ticket that weekend.
Free entry
- May
Rally de Portugal
Four days in May (7–10 May in 2026)
World Rally Championship cars fly over the famous Fafe jump and race side by side on Lousada's rallycross track.
More about it
Portugal’s round of the World Rally Championship (WRC) runs every May on forest roads across the north and centre. In 2026 it started in Coimbra, with its base at Exponor in Matosinhos. Fafe, which rally fans call “the cathedral of rallying”, ends at the Salto da Pedra Sentada, a jump where cars leave the ground.
For a shorter outing, try the Lousada super special on the rallycross circuit, where two cars race side by side on parallel tracks. In 2026 it ran on Saturday evening, with freestyle, drift and kartcross displays from 14:00, and tickets cost €30 standing or €50 in the grandstand.
The organisers publish spectator guides with pass times and maps of the official zones. Zones usually open about five hours before the first car, and you must stay inside the marked areas. Paid Rally Pass zones add shuttles, toilets and a big screen, and are free for children under 7. Expect long waits, dust and very loud cars.
Free with paid extras
- Jun
Children's fishing get-together, Arronches
Usually early June, around Children's Day (1 June)
A long-running day of river fishing on the Caia for children aged 6 to 16, ending with lunch and a diploma for everyone.
More about it
For more than 20 years the Centro Republicano Arronchense, a local association, has held a sport-fishing get-together for children and teenagers aged 6 to 16. It normally falls in early June to mark Children’s Day; the 23rd edition in June 2026 was moved to coincide with Arronches’ São João festivities.
The day started at the town’s Cultural Centre, then moved to the banks of the Caia river near Porto Manes. Children learnt basic fishing techniques, especially those new to the sport, and families came along too. Everyone went back to the Cultural Centre for lunch, and each child received a participation diploma and a souvenir.
It is a small, local event, reported only in the regional press. The report did not give a cost or say how to sign up, so contact the association or Arronches council in May.
Free entry
- Jun
Feira Nacional de Agricultura
Nine days in early to mid June (6 to 14 June in 2026), daily from 10:00
Portugal's national farming fair at CNEMA in Santarém, with a big outdoor field of tractors and farm machinery, livestock, fair rides and a children's programme.
More about it
The Feira Nacional de Agricultura (national agriculture fair, also called the Feira do Ribatejo) fills the CNEMA showground in Santarém every June. The 26th edition ran from 6 to 14 June 2026.
For a child who would pick a tractor over a fire engine, the outdoor machinery area is the draw: rows of farm machines, equipment and farm technology, open 10:00 to 21:00. There is also livestock, cookery tastings, fair rides, evening concerts and FNAzinha, a programme of activities for children.
It is good value for families. In 2026 a single ticket cost €8.50, children under 12 went free every day, and one day (8 June) was free for everyone. Outdoor parking is free; covered parking was €5 a day. The pavilions stay open late on most nights, but the machinery field closes at 21:00, so go in the daytime. Much of the site is outdoors in June sun, so bring hats and water. Dates move each year; check CNEMA in spring.
Free with paid extras
- Jun
Festas de Lisboa and Santo António
All of June, with the big night on 12 to 13 June
All June, Lisbon's old neighbourhoods hold street parties with grilled sardines, and on 12 June costumed marches parade down the Avenida da Liberdade.
More about it
June is party month in Lisbon. The city’s festival celebrates Santo António (St Anthony), its best-loved saint, and runs through the whole month. The arraiais, street parties with bunting, music and grilled sardines, pop up in the old neighbourhoods such as Alfama, Mouraria, Graça, Bairro Alto and around the castle.
The big night is 12 June. In the evening the marchas populares, costumed teams from each neighbourhood, sing and dance their way down the Avenida da Liberdade in front of judges, and 13 June, the saint’s day, is a public holiday in Lisbon. The same day sees the Santo António weddings, when a group of couples marry in the city.
Almost everything is free. The arraiais run late and get packed and loud on the nights around 12 June, so families with small children usually do better in the early evening or on a quieter weeknight earlier in the month. Leave the buggy at home in Alfama’s alleys and stairs.
Free entry
- Jun
Paredes de Coura LEGO Fan Weekend
A weekend in June (13–14 June in 2026)
Adult LEGO fans from around the world fill Paredes de Coura's cultural centre with their builds, with free entry and a family building workshop.
More about it
Each June the small Minho town of Paredes de Coura hosts an international gathering of adult LEGO fans. Comunidade 0937, a Portuguese fan group, organises it with the council, and it has been an official LEGO fan networking event since 2016. Builders from around the world bring their own models to fill the exhibition.
Most of the weekend’s programme is for the adult builders, but the exhibition at the Centro Cultural de Paredes de Coura is open to everyone for free. In 2026 it ran on 13 and 14 June, 10:00–12:00 and 14:00–18:00, and the council listed a family LEGO workshop on building houses. Models brought by one UK group in 2026 included a large spaceship, a mosaic of footballer Diogo Jota and British model trains running round loops of track.
It closes over lunch, so plan a café stop in town. The council’s events page carries each year’s dates.
Free entry
- Jun
São João do Porto
Through June, with the big night on 23 to 24 June
On Porto's midsummer night, people bop each other on the head with soft plastic hammers, then watch fireworks over the Douro at midnight.
More about it
Porto celebrates São João (St John) all month, but the night that matters is 23 June, which runs into the public holiday on the 24th. The whole city comes out to eat grilled sardines and caldo verde, dance at free concerts on stages across town and send paper hot-air balloons into the sky.
The tradition children love is the martelinho, a soft plastic hammer used to tap friends and strangers on the head. Some people use a stem of garlic flower instead. At midnight a firework display of about 16 minutes lights up the river between the Luís I and Arrábida bridges; the Ribeira and the Gaia bank are the classic places to watch. Earlier in the week, the rusgas are night-time neighbourhood parades with costumes and folk dancing.
It is noisy, packed and very late, so the evening before midnight suits most families best. Keep children close in the crowds by the river, agree a meeting point, and use the metro rather than trying to park near the river.
Free entry
- Jul · Aug
Arcadalândia at Nova Arcada
Mid-July to the end of August, daily 14:00 to 21:00 (15 July to 31 August in 2026)
A free summer water play park on the outdoor terrace of the Nova Arcada shopping centre in Braga, with inflatable obstacle courses, water games and duck fishing in 30-minute slots.
More about it
Every summer the outdoor area on floor 1 of the Nova Arcada shopping centre in Braga turns into Arcadalândia, a free water play park with a nautical theme. In 2026 it ran from 15 July to 31 August, daily from 14:00 to 21:00.
Children get a water adventure area with inflatable obstacle courses and water games, and younger ones get duck fishing. Local news gave the ages as 3 to 15 depending on the activity, and under-3s are not allowed in. Parents have a beach-style rest area, and there are changing rooms.
Entry is free but works in 30-minute slots, after which everyone leaves the water area for the next group. You can book a slot online (arrive five minutes early) or queue for the current or next slot. Bring swimwear and a towel, and expect queues on hot afternoons. Dates change each year, so check Nova Arcada’s events page in June.
Free entry
- Jul · Aug
Feira de Sant'Iago
About eleven days from late July to early August, evenings into the night
Setúbal's big summer fair, with about thirty funfair rides, concerts every night on two stages, a BMX track and daily cooking demonstrations.
More about it
The Feira de Sant’Iago is Setúbal’s big summer fair, held at the Parque de Sant’Iago in Manteigadas on the edge of the city. The 2026 edition ran for eleven days, from 23 July to 2 August, and the council counted about 300,000 visits.
For children the main draw is the funfair, with about thirty rides, and there’s a BMX track run by a local club. Concerts play every night on two stages, with the headline act on the main stage at about 21:30. In 2026 the fair closed with a set by an eight-year-old DJ. There’s also a book and vinyl fair, exhibitions, and daily cooking demonstrations with regional food and wine, which cost €10 a person in 2026.
The fair opens in the late afternoon or early evening and runs until after midnight, and it is busiest at weekends and on big concert nights. The council’s news pages don’t say whether entry is free, so check this year’s programme for entry, dates and the line-up.
Free with paid extras
- Jul
Festa dos Tabuleiros
Every four years in early July; the next is 3 to 12 July 2027
Every four years, hundreds of girls in white walk through Tomar balancing towers of bread and paper flowers as tall as themselves on their heads.
More about it
This one is not annual. Tomar holds the Festa dos Tabuleiros once every four years, in honour of the Holy Spirit. The last was in 2023 and the next runs from 3 to 12 July 2027.
The tabuleiro is a tray headdress that must be as tall as the girl who carries it. It holds 30 loaves of bread, each weighing 400 grams, threaded on canes and topped with a crown bearing a dove or the Cross of the Order of Christ, with paper flowers and wheat. Girls in long white dresses carry them through the streets, each helped by a boy. The main parade in 2027 is on Sunday 11 July, and the festival ends on 12 July with the Distribuição da Pêza, a traditional sharing out of food.
Streets are decorated for the whole festival. Parade day is extremely crowded and hot, so find a spot on the route early and bring shade and water.
Free entry
- Jul
Mercado Medieval de Óbidos
About ten days in the second half of July, from late afternoon until around midnight
Óbidos goes back to the 14th century for ten July evenings of street theatre, medieval music and food stalls inside the castle walls.
More about it
Every July the walled town of Óbidos fills with stallholders, musicians and performers in medieval dress. The market is built around a story from Portuguese history. In 2026 it ran from 16 to 26 July and followed King Fernando I and Queen Leonor Teles through the troubled 14th century.
The programme has three parts: the market itself, with food and drink sold in the old style; “experiences” where visitors smell, hear and try medieval customs; and scheduled shows. The organisers publish a daily programme as a PDF, so you can plan around the performances your children will like best.
It runs in the evening and ends late, which suits older children better than toddlers. The gates close once the site is full, so the organisers suggest following their social media on busy nights. Streets are cobbled and steep. Ticket prices were not shown on the page we checked, so look at the hours and prices section before you go.
Paid entry
- Jul · Aug
Viagem Medieval em Terra de Santa Maria
About twelve days from late July into early August, from lunchtime until after midnight
One of Portugal's biggest medieval re-enactments, spread over the castle and old streets of Santa Maria da Feira for twelve summer days. Under-6s go free.
More about it
Each summer the historic centre of Santa Maria da Feira, from the castle down through the old streets, becomes a medieval town with themed areas, costumed characters, a market, daily shows and re-enactments. Every edition picks a period of Portuguese history. The 30th, from 29 July to 9 August 2026, went back to the County of Portugal and the young Afonso Henriques.
Gates open at 13:00 on weekdays and 12:00 at weekends, and close at 00:30. Children up to 5 go free and paid entry starts at 6. Pumpkin listed 2026 day tickets at €4 Monday to Thursday and €5 Friday to Sunday, with a €10 wristband for every day. Volunteers at the gates will put a free wristband on young children with your name and phone number, which is worth doing in the crowds. A companion of a disabled visitor gets in free.
The afternoons are hot and the site is large and hilly. There are ten permanent public water fountains in the historic centre, so bring refillable bottles and hats, and pick a few shows rather than trying to see everything. Watch the official site for next year’s dates.
Paid entry
- Aug
Bat and moth night at Mosteiro de Tibães
Late August, for International Bat Night (21–22 August in 2026)
Biologists lead night walks through the monastery grounds at Tibães to find bats and moths, with an early session for families with small children.
More about it
The Mosteiro de São Martinho de Tibães, a former Benedictine monastery just outside Braga, marks International Bat Night each August with its education team and visiting researchers (the BioAventuras project in 2024, MoreNatura in 2026). Researchers take small groups into the monastery’s woods and gardens after dark to watch and listen for bats and to look for night-flying moths.
At the 2024 edition there were free-exploration activities for children with an adult in the afternoon (15:00–17:30), then a 20:00–22:00 night walk for families with children up to 6 and a later walk for everyone else. Night walks were limited to 30 people. Registration is compulsory for every session: phone 253 622 670 or email tibaes@patrimoniocultural.gov.pt with a contact number and how many people are coming to each session. Places go quickly, so book as soon as the dates appear. The monastery’s pages show no charge; confirm when you book.
EUROBATS lists the 2026 edition for 21–22 August. Bring a torch, warm clothes and waterproof shoes, as the paths are unpaved and uneven. Dogs are not allowed.
Free entry
- Aug
Dias Medievais de Castro Marim
Five evenings at the end of August (26 to 30 August in 2026), from late afternoon until the early hours
Castro Marim's castle, fort and old streets turn medieval for five nights, with jousting, parades, a market and a children's area with donkey rides and sword-making.
More about it
Every late August, Castro Marim near the Spanish border fills its castle, the São Sebastião fort and the streets between them with a medieval festival. The 27th edition ran from 26 to 30 August 2026.
Knights fight on horseback and on foot in the castle’s tournament ground, and there are parades on the first and last nights, a craft market, a garrison and an Arab encampment. Children have their own activities: donkey rides, bread-making, making a shield and sword, mini-tournaments and old games. Costumes can be hired at the castle from mid August. There is also a torture-instruments exhibition that some children will find grim.
In 2026 the full ticket (market, fort and castle) was free up to age 5, €5 for ages 6 to 11 and €8 from 12. The market and fort alone were free up to 11. A torch-lit banquet in the castle cost €50, with no child price listed. The market opens at 17:00 and runs past 02:00, so arrive early with small children.
Paid entry
- Aug
Feira Medieval de Silves
About nine evenings in the first half of August, 18:00 to 01:00
Silves goes back to its days as Xelb, a Moorish city of poets, with a nightly parade, street theatre and a medieval play area for children.
More about it
Silves has a red sandstone castle and a Moorish past, and every August its old town becomes a medieval fair. The 21st edition ran from 7 to 15 August 2026 and looked back to when the city, then called Xelb, was a centre of poetry and learning in the Islamic Gharb al-Andalus.
Each evening at 18:00 a costumed parade sets off from Praça Al-Mu’tamid. After that there are historical re-enactments, street performers, music, dance and theatre, craft demonstrations and food stalls through the streets around the castle. Younger children have their own area, “Xilb dos Pequenos”, with games, drama and hands-on activities.
The fair is cheap for families. When checked, entry was €2, and children up to 9 or under 1.30 m tall went free; multi-day passes were also sold. It runs until 01:00 on steep cobbled lanes, so wear comfortable shoes, plan some rests and go early in the evening with small children.
Paid entry
- Aug
Festas de Nossa Senhora da Boa Viagem
About ten days in August, with the main weekend usually in mid August
Ericeira's fishermen take the statue of their patron saint out to sea at night, during ten August days of concerts, food stalls and fireworks over the bay.
More about it
Nossa Senhora da Boa Viagem, “Our Lady of the Good Voyage”, protects people who work at sea, and Ericeira has held a festival for her every summer since 1947. Her small chapel stands above Praia dos Pescadores, the fishermen’s beach.
The moment children remember is the procession at sea, when the statue is carried on board with the fishermen and taken around the bay, if the sea allows. Around it there are ten days of evening concerts, from fado to local bands, food stalls run by volunteers and a closing fireworks display over the water. The 2026 edition ran from 7 to 16 August.
The festival is run on donations and volunteer help, and there is no entry charge. Ericeira is packed in August and parking is hard, so arrive early for the sea procession and fireworks, and keep hold of small children on the crowded harbour walls. Check the official site for this year’s dates and times.
Free entry
- Aug
Festival do Marisco
Six nights in mid August, from 19:30 until late
Olhão's seafood festival serves clams, prawns and cataplana by the harbour for six August nights, with big-name concerts and pizza for fussy eaters.
More about it
Olhão is a fishing town on the Ria Formosa lagoon, and each August it holds a seafood festival in the Jardim Pescador Olhanense, beside the market halls and the marina. In 2026 it ran from 10 to 15 August.
The food is the point: oysters, clams, prawns, seafood rice and cataplana (a seafood stew cooked in a copper pan). Children who will not touch shellfish are covered too, with pizzas, sandwiches and vegetarian dishes. Each night ends with a concert by a well-known Portuguese or Brazilian act.
When checked, a day ticket was €12 for adults and €6 for children aged 7 to 12, and under-7s went free. A pass for all six nights was €54 for adults and €27 for children. The gates open at 19:30, but the main concert starts around 23:00 and the site stays open until 01:30, so it is a late night for small children. Go early for dinner and leave before the headliner if bedtime matters.
Paid entry
Nothing matches those choices.
Try another month or a wider region.
02The sort of plans we share
Regular ways to get involved
These are planning examples, not confirmed events. Each live event will show the date, place, ages, cost, organiser and whether a parent stays.
- Monthly
Park or beach meet
An easy first step for families who want company without committing to a formal group.
Usually free
- Weekday
Museum or science day
A shared visit gives children people to talk to and parents a ready-made group.
May be paid
- Seasonal
Creative or practical session
Small workshops for making, experimenting, moving or learning a new skill together.
May be paid
- Informal
Coffee and local introductions
A chance to swap useful contacts and find families close enough to meet again.
Usually free
Why it matters
The right event can change a quiet month.
Children get familiar faces and shared experiences. Parents get local knowledge, contacts and plans that have been checked before they are shared.
- Hear about plans before spaces disappear
- Find events with useful age and cost information
- Meet families in your part of Portugal
- Help good organisers reach the right people
03Stay close to the plans
Email for the round-up. WhatsApp for the homeschooling conversation.
The newsletter keeps the best events, new guides and local finds in one place, including options outside your immediate area. Homeschooling families can also join the WhatsApp community for day-to-day conversation.
Email newsletter
Receive an edited monthly round-up without needing to follow every conversation.
Join the email listSuggest an event
Organising something families would love? Share the details for review.
Suggest an event