If you’re looking to dive headlong into a really fun, authentic, ‘not-for-tourists’ cultural experience, head north to the Feira de São Cristóvão on the weekend. This huge complex of stalls, bars, restaurants, shops and live music venues, housed in what looks like a massive sports stadium, is home to all things nordestino in Rio.
Rio’s nordestinos (people from the northeastern states of Brazil) flock to the feira for a taste of home – to eat, drink, dance and revel in their own, very distinct culture. This is also a great option if you’re on a tight budget – the restaurants serve huge portions, drinks are cheap and the music and dancing are free.
Wander, explore, people watch, try some grilled cheese and some flavoured cachaça, get lost, try dancing forró, and just soak it all in!
Background
The Northeastern states of Brazil are home to over 50 million people and make up 18% of the country’s total area. Nordestinos are known for their rich culture, strongly influenced by the Africans who were brought over as slave labour. This African influence can be seen in all aspects of the culture, from the religion and folklore to the food, music and dance.
Between the 1950s and 1980s there was a massive movement of nordestinos from their native states to the large cities (primarily São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro) in search of work. Today these communities still hold on to their Northeastern roots and their influence can be clearly seen in the Southeastern cities that they now call home. The Feira de São Cristóvão (also sometimes described as Feira dos Paraíbas, or Feira dos Nordestinos) is a great way to get a taste of this important part of Brazilian culture that is a million miles away from standard tourist activities based in Zona Sul. Learn more about comida nordestina (the classic dishes from Northeastern Brazil) on one of our Eat Rio Food Tours!
Weekends only: The real fun here happens on the weekend – during the rest of the week I wouldn’t even bother as most of the venues will be closed.
