Brique da Redenção’s 45th anniversary will have shows, parades and tributes

On the next Sundays, March 19th and 26th, Brique da Redenção presents its commemorative program for the 45th anniversary of the fair. The festivities are open to the public and free of charge. On the 19th tributes, musical and dance performances are planned from 10:30 to 15:00. On the 26th, the traditional parade with vintage cars takes place until noon. The program is organized by the Municipality of Porto Alegre, through the Municipal Secretariat for Economic Development and Tourism (SMDET) and the Deliberative Commission of Brique da Redenção.

The president of the Commission, Renita Stieler, who manages the progress of Brique together with the exhibitors and the Municipal Secretariat, assesses that after 45 years of its foundation, today the fair is a place that knows the importance it occupies in people’s lives. “We also hear this from tourists from other states and even from outside the country. We noticed that it is special in people’s imagination”, she completes.

The largest segment of exhibitors at the fair is handicrafts, with 180 stalls, followed by 66 antiques, 26 fine arts and six gastronomic spaces. SMDET’s secretary, Julia Evangelista Tavares, explains that the folder regulates exhibitors, manages and supervises Brique. “We have a very well organized and consolidated fair in our municipality, after all, it’s been 45 years of hard work and dedication to manual work. Many families depend on businesses in Brique”, she highlighted.

The Brique was created in 1978 above Parque Farroupilha and since 1982 it has operated in the central construction site along Avenida José Bonifácio. It was founded as an open-air fair inspired by the model of the Flea Market in Montevideo and the San Telmo Fair in Buenos Aires. In 2005, the law was sanctioned that declared the Brique da Redenção cultural heritage of the State.

Since its creation, Brique has acquired a traditional status, being also seen as a place to go out with the family and to socialize with the community of exhibitors and local artists. Renita Stieler explains why, according to her, Brique has won a place in the hearts of regulars. “We have a range of things that were part of people’s lives. ‘My grandmother had it’, ‘my aunt had it’, ‘I got it when I turned 15’. These are phrases that we hear and that refer us to the experience of these people. They remember all that there with us”.

Complete schedule:

3/19 – Sunday:
10:30 am – Homage to the founding exhibitors
Thanks and delivery of the order “Amigo do Brique”
Musical congratulations alluding to the 45th anniversary of Brique da Redenção/Antiquários.
11:00 – Country concert with the Orquestra Jovem do Rio Grande do Sul conducted by maestro Telmo Jaconi.
12:30 – Performance of music and dance by the International Folklore Group “Os Gaúchos”.
2 pm – Samba Show with Carlinhos Presidente.
3 pm – Piper Lipsen show.

3/26 – Sunday:
10:30 – Parade and caravan arrival with old cars from the Veteran Car Clube/RS de Porto Alegre, with exhibition of old cars until 12h.