Guimarães Spring Festival emphasises sustainability

“Bairro C: Zero Carbon Commitment” will be the motto of the event, which will feature concerts, markets and many other activities

Spring is coming and Laboratório da Paisagem and the municipality of Guimarães are once again preparing to mark the arrival of the most colourful season of the year. On 23 and 24 March, Guimarães will host another edition of the Spring Festival, which this year will take place in Rua de Vila Flor, in the heart of the Couros area. “Bairro C: Zero Carbon Commitment”, a pilot project approved by NetZeroCities, within the scope of Mission Cities, will be the motto of the festival, which puts sustainability in the spotlight.

Bairro C is a test tube for a series of measures aimed at the municipality of Guimarães’ commitment to carbon neutrality, which consists of an integrated approach to emissions from energy, mobility, waste and land use. The aim is to promote behavioural change, social and cultural innovation, new policies and regulations, green technology, a sustainable economy and new business models.

Throughout the weekend, the programme will also include markets, music, dance, workshops, talks, a picnic area, exhibitions and many other activities for the whole family. Two emerging names in Portuguese music will be performing on the big stage at the Spring Festival: Vera Lima from Vimarães and Maria João Soares, runner-up on The Voice Portugal 2023. There will also be talks on solutions for green balconies and dancing.

There will also be plenty of fun for the younger ones, with the concert “Palhacinho Jonas – História musicalada com Catarina Pereira”, traditional games, a treasure hunt, Educabicla and a giant carpet game. Creativity will also be stimulated with the illustration of postcards, eco printing, clay activities, learning sessions about the leather industry, soap-making workshops and the construction of bat shelters, among many others.

The Spring Festival will also include workshops on Kokedamas and building a pond in the Miyawaki Forest, art installations, photographic and drawing exhibitions, an interpretive tour of Bairro C, a visit to the trees in Vila Flor’s gardens, a Bioblitz and an artistic performance by Guimagym.

Access to the Spring Festival is free and open to the whole community. The full programme is available at www.labpaisagem.pt. Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)