Portuguese Cultural Attractions in Fall River, Massachusetts

Fall River is a city in southeast Massachusetts which boasts one of the largest Portuguese communities in the United States. As of 2008, 47% of the city's 90,000 plus residents claimed Portuguese ancestry. Many of these residents emigrated from the Azores, an archipelago in the mid Atlantic.

While Fall River's glory days as a center for outlet shopping may be well behind it, it is still a place where you can see and experience Portuguese culture on the east coast of the United States.

The Gates of the City

Where Water Street turns into Firestone Ave you can see one of the most impressive Portuguese heritage monuments in Fall River. The three gates are a replica of the gates of the city in Ponta Delgada, the capital of the Azores. Built in 2006, the gates are a symbol of "friendship between two sister cities." Surrounding the gates is a small park which overlooks the river and the Bragga Bridge.

Columbia Street - Cultural District

Although the entire street is lined with signs announcing it as the "cultural district," it's the part of the street closer to the water that is more interesting. Here you can visit Portuguese markets, sample sweet bread at a traditional bakery, grab some coffee at a European-style cafe, and stock up on Catholic Jesus and Mary figurines and paintings for the house. While you walk the streets, don't be surprised to hear cars blaring Portuguese music, see young men walking around without their shirts on, or meet a gaggle of ladies emerging from Santo Christo Church.

Saint Anne's Shrine

In the south end of the city across from Kennedy park, you'll see an imposing Catholic church known as Saint Anne's Shrine. Here the real action takes place in the basement level of the church which is dedicated to Saint Anne. While many older churches across New England are likely to be empty when you go for a visit, not so with Saint Anne's. At almost any time of the day you can expect to find people of all ages offering prayers to Saint Anne and the other saints represented in the shrine. Inside, there is a replica of the Santo Christo, a figure of Jesus central to Catholic worship in the Azores. During religious festivals, the Portuguese Catholic community dresses the Christ figure in elegant garments and carries him in a procession around Kennedy Park.

Sources:

City Data: Fall River Population & Statistics