Workshops, walks, art studios, music and theatre. The Festa dos Maios, the highlight of Quinta do Pisão's program, promises all this and more over two weekends in May. This year, the theme is "reviving the rural and saloia traditions of Cascais", adapting them to the new generations, as stated on the municipality's website. Admission is free.
The first day of the festival, Saturday, May 11th, begins with forest yoga (09:30) and continues with various activities: a mountain bike ride (10:00), butterfly observation (10:00), pottery workshop (15:30), a showcooking session with chef Daniel Estriga (from Conceito), themed "The wood-fired oven in a modern kitchen" (12:00), and a performance "My Portuguese ukulele" by Afonso Albuquerque and Tato Rezende (18:00).
On Sunday, May 12th, early risers who enjoy trail running need to set their alarms (09:00). Later, there's a showcooking session with edible flowers (14:00), a botanical walk exploring the herbs and flowers used in cooking (15:00), a basketry workshop (14:30), and a performance of Alentejo singing by the group "Vozes do Campo Branco em Cascais" (16:00).
On the second weekend, the program starts on Friday, May 17th, at 19:30 with a treasure hunt, a dinner by firefly light with live music (this is the only paid activity of the entire festival), and a nighttime tractor ride. The next day, there are more walks – birdwatching (09:30), nature walks (10:00), dog walks (10:00), and a nighttime wildlife interpretation walk (21:00) – along with an essential oils extraction workshop (10:30), a natural pigments and stamps workshop (14:00), and a nature treasure hunt (16:00). The day ends with performances by the ethnographic group Sete Castelos (16:00) and the Dutch duo Corcova (17:00-19:00).
To conclude this edition, on May 19th, there's a guided tour of the estate's heritage led by historian Mário Lisboa (10:30), a honey biscuit baking contest (16:00), a perfume alchemy workshop (16:30), and entertainment by the Cascais Municipality Staff's Cultural and Recreational Group (10:00).
Visitors also have access to donkey and horse baptisms, traditional games, carriage and tractor rides and a traditional market. Demonstrations of trades for children are also scheduled as part of the "One day I want to be" initiative, which gives them the opportunity to try professions related to the environment. Anyone out there want to be a beekeeper, horse handler, gardener, nature ranger, or shepherd when they grow up?
Please note that although the activities are free, they have limited availability and require mandatory registration.