First São Sebastião-Ilhabela Sustainable Fest gathers over 1500 people on October 6-8, 2017
Approximately 1600 people enjoyed a weekend full of rewarding experiences by the sea, with about 50 activities devoted to social interaction, art, local culture, and the environment.
In Ilhabela the activities were held on Saturday the 7th. As for São Sebastião, there were two dates and three locations: Instituto Verdescola and FATEC/ETEC on the 6th, and Rua da Praia on the 8th. Hundreds of students, local residents and tourists enjoyed creative workshops, documentaries, debates on topics such as future scenarios and collaborative economy, theater plays, open shows, sports, Zen activities, and literature/poetry readings.
With the sponsorship of EDP and the enthusiasm of local communities, Caiçara culture, Portuguese language and recycled art were some of the experiences that enlivened the event. On Friday, storyteller Neide Palumbo charmed the audience with tales and folk lyrics from São Sebastião. On Sunday, the crowd gathered at Chão Caiçara on Rua da Praia to enjoy sugar cane coffee, traditional delicacies, and poetry recited to the sound of the guitar.
"EDP is very proud to support initiatives that value culture and awareness, such as Virada Sustentável (Sustainable Fest). Besides promoting Caiçara history, the event was focused on the Portuguese language, encouraging visitors to learn more about our tongue," says EDP Executive Manager for the Environment Pedro Sirgado.
In addition to these experiences, a play, also sponsored by the company, playfully recalled local myths at dawn. And to make sure all these memories would be taken back home, participants headed to the bookbinding workshop to create books with quotes about the city and recycled cardboard covers.
These are some examples, involving the Millenium Development Goals, of the many activities for all ages and interest groups which served as the basis for the São Sebastião-Ilhabela Sustainable Fest. After three days of debates and attitudes, what remains besides the desire for more activities like these - open to the public and received with popular enthusiasm - was the satisfaction of having so many people willing to contribute to the environment and the well-being of society.
