Mayor Jon Mitchell and Club Madeirense S.S. Sacramento together have announced that the 106th Feast of the Blessed Sacrament, scheduled for July 30 through August 2, has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Club and the Feast Committee will announce further details about cancellation and any virtual commemoration or other Feast-related arrangements in the coming days.

The Feast is one of America’s largest and most popular ethnic festivals, attracting hundreds of thousands of attendees every summer.  Founded in 1915 by four Madeiran immigrant men to recreate the religious festivals common in the villages of their home island and to commemorate their safe passage to America, this traditional midsummer gathering for family and friends is considered to be the world’s largest festival honoring Portuguese culture.

Above – file photo by Josh Souza.