It is one of the smallest villages in the municipality of Mogadouro, but for one day it becomes one of the largest masquerade stages in Europe.

On 5 April, Bemposta, in the district of Bragança, will once again host the Encontro de Rituais Ancestrais — a festival that combines tradition, creativity and rural identity in a parade that attracts hundreds of participants and thousands of visitors, according to NiT news.

After an edition that featured more than 800 masked performers and 60 international groups, this year the bar remains high: 75 groups and more than 750 extras from Mexico and six European countries have been confirmed.

Portugal will also be represented, of course, with a special mention for the host of the festival: the Bemposta cowbell maker, an enigmatic figure and one of the oldest traditional characters in the Iberian Peninsula.

“The idea is to show, in a lively way, the different expressions of the ancestry of each of the localities in the various countries”, explains António Pimentel, Mayor of Mogadouro. And there is more to see than the masked parade. In the afternoon, the village centre transforms into a real street market, with stalls selling local products — from olive oil to folares, as well as bread and cheese. There will be no shortage of food, music or atmosphere.

In addition to the market, there is also a food court and a photo exhibition with images from previous editions of the festival. To close the day, there is a concert with “A Trouxa Moucha”, a group that brings with it the traditional sounds of the Planalto Mirandês.

The organisation expects to receive around six thousand visitors, the majority coming from Spain, for what is already one of the largest European festivals dedicated to winter and carnival rituals.