Two Hundred Years of Feiras Novas: A Meeting of Two Centuries of Tradition

There are dates that are deeply ingrained in the soul of a people. The Feiras Novas, Ponte de Lima are one of them. In 2026, this historic event will mark an extraordinary milestone: 200 years of existence. And Pirotecnia Minhota, as one would expect, will be there to mark this occasion with the grandeur the moment demands.

For a company with deep roots in the Ponte de Lima region, this is not just another event. It is an expression of belonging. It is a celebration of two projects that have grown together and which, together, continue to make history.

What Are the Feiras Novas?

The Feiras Novas in Ponte de Lima are the largest folk festival in northern Portugal and one of the oldest and most traditional in the country. Held annually in September, the Feiras Novas attract hundreds of thousands of visitors from across the Minho region and beyond over several days, bringing together food, crafts, music, folklore and, of course, fireworks.

For two centuries, the Feiras Novas have been a meeting place for generations of Limia residents. A place where tradition is renewed each year, where past and present converge in the streets of Portugal’s oldest town. Reaching the 200-year milestone is an achievement that deserves to be celebrated in style.

Minhota Pyrotechnics and Ponte de Lima: A Century-Old Connection

Pirotecnia Minhota and Feiras Novas share much more than just the same land. They share a history of coexistence, of growing side by side, and of a shared identity.

The company has its “main factory” in Santa Cruz do Lima, in the heart of the municipality of Ponte de Lima. Its roots lie with Gomes da Costa, regarded as the pioneer of Portuguese pyrotechnics, and with three generations of a family that has turned fire into an art form and made safety a non-negotiable priority. This is a company from Minho, with Minho in its DNA and Minho pride in every show it creates.

At the Feiras Novas, Pirotecnia Minhota has been a regular fixture over the years, providing the fireworks for one of the most eagerly awaited moments of each event. During the 200th-anniversary celebrations, this tradition will take on a special significance.

Fire as a Language of Celebration

There is something deeply symbolic about celebrating 200 years of a popular festival with fireworks. Fire is the most universal language of celebration. It is noise and colour, the smell of gunpowder and a blaze in the sky; it is a heart beating faster and eyes that won’t blink.

Traditional pyrotechnics, with their cane rockets, sparklers and firework displays, are an integral part of the identity of the Minho’s popular festivals. There is no pilgrimage, no fair, no true celebration without the roar and the sparkle that Minho pyrotechnics know better than anyone.

To mark the 200th anniversary of the Feiras Novas, the show will be a fitting celebration of the occasion. It will be an evening that Ponte de Lima and all who love it will never forget.

A Tradition Renewed, A Flame That Never Dies

Feiras Novas is celebrating its 200th anniversary with the same vitality as ever, proof that true traditions do not grow old: they reinvent themselves. Pirotecnia Minhota reaches this bicentenary with over a century of history behind it and a clear vision for the future: to preserve the legacy of traditional pyrotechnics whilst embracing the innovation that modern times demand.

Two centenarians. One celebration. The fire that unites them.

Follow the Feiras Novas de Ponte de Lima and Pirotecnia Minhota’s involvement in the 200th-anniversary celebrations on our social media channels.