Festa dos Pés de Pomba 2020 in Barão de Cocais, MG

46th Festa dos Pés de Pomba

In a year marked by challenges and social distancing, the 46th Festa dos Pés de Pomba showed the strength of Barão de Cocais culture and the power of unity even at a distance. For the first time in its history, the event was held in a 100% online format, with live streams on the Barão de Cocais City Hall's official YouTube and Facebook channels.
Organized by the Department of Culture and Tourism, the 2020 edition's main goal was to keep the tradition alive and value local artists, offering a digital experience that combined music, food and interactivity and brought the town's festive spirit into homes across the Serra do Caraça region.

A Reinvented Tradition: The Festival Goes Virtual

The COVID-19 pandemic made in-person events impossible, but it could not interrupt a tradition that has represented the pride of Barão de Cocais for decades. So the City Hall devised an innovative format that turned the Festa dos Pés de Pomba into a true digital showcase of local culture.
For two weeks, from July 31 to August 9, the public could follow a varied program full of music, food and special guests — all streamed with professional quality and plenty of emotion.

The online edition reinforced the true meaning of the event: turning challenges into opportunities and showing the strength of culture as a tool for overcoming adversity. Even at a distance, residents of Barão de Cocais and visitors from many towns took an active part, sending photos, comments and messages during the streams.

Barão de Cocais Artists in the Spotlight

The great distinguishing feature of the 46th Festa dos Pés de Pomba – Live was the leading role of local artists.
In the first week, the performances began with the upbeat sound of Diego Romão Nuances Musicais, followed by Flavinho, Naty Rock and DJ Douglas Dias, who closed the night with plenty of rhythm and energy.
On Saturday, the virtual stage was taken over by sertanejo hits, with the duos Sérgio Augusto & Bruno, Cláudio & Lidiany and Jeff & Alex, who entertained the audience with modões and sertanejo universitário hits.

Sunday had a family atmosphere, with a show by Robson Nunes, who opened the program with MPB (Brazilian popular music), followed by the groups Mistura Envolvente and Mistura do Samba, bringing the best of pagode and Minas Gerais samba.
The streams reached thousands of views and showed that the festival can stay alive even in a challenging global situation.

The following week, the attractions returned even stronger: DJs Ronald, Aycond, Orbys and the legendary Formigão livened up Friday with electronic and nostalgic sounds.
Saturday was dominated by rock, with KA2, Cidade Vinil, Rock Bar, Armazém do Rock and Mr. Mojo, who closed the night with classics of the genre.
Sunday brought the emotion of cultural roots with Trio Raiz, Juventino, Totô and Ziziu, as well as Maria Rita, who presented the "Modo de fazer Quitanda e Goiabada Cascão" (the traditional way of making quitandas — homemade baked goods — and goiabada cascão guava paste), recognized as the town's intangible heritage.

Delivery Food Festival: Flavors of the Serra do Caraça

Another highlight of the online edition was the Delivery Food Festival, which adapted to the new format without losing its essence.
The restaurants Ducheffs, Em Cantos, Requinte Buffet and Tia Lú took part with exclusive dishes inspired by the culture and typical ingredients of the Serra do Caraça region.
Orders were delivered to residents' homes with hand sanitizer and a special gift — a small pot of goiabada cascão, a symbol of the culinary heritage of Barão de Cocais.

The dishes were judged by a technical panel based on criteria such as presentation, aroma, creativity, texture and flavor.
The winner was the "Brasileiríssimo" dish, created by Requinte Buffet, which won over the judges with its perfect combination of tradition and innovation.

Culture, Affection and Resilience in Times of Isolation

The 46th Festa dos Pés de Pomba was much more than a live stream: it was a declaration of love for Barão de Cocais culture.
With every song, every dish and every virtual interaction, it was clear how much the event is part of the identity of Barão de Cocais and the Serra do Caraça region.
Even at a time of distancing, the festival managed to bring people together — proving that the pride of being from Barão de Cocais transcends any barrier.

The success of the online edition showed that tradition can reinvent itself without losing its essence. The 2020 Festa dos Pés de Pomba will be remembered as the year culture overcame isolation and stayed alive, with the same brilliance, joy and emotion as ever.