In 2007, Frenchman Richard Galliano and Brazilian Do­minguinhos, two masters of the accordion, met for the first time on the Feast of St.John in Campina Grande, in the state of Paraíba, to appear in a documentary called Paraíba, Meu Amor (Paraíba, My Love), by Swiss Be­nard Robert-Charrue. The movie about forró, the most traditional dance rhythm in Northeast Brazil, could not have picked a better place for its setting. Campina Grande and Caruaru, in the state of Pernambuco, host the main June Feasts in Brazil.

Around 4,5 million reais was invested in Campina Grande’s Feast of St.John (30/05 to 29/06). Millions of people will dance to the sound of more than 500 attractions like Dominguinhos (8/6), Fagner (23/6) and Elba g fRamalho (27/6).Trios playing forró pé-de-serra will entertain revelers in three large thatched huts named after important figures of the Northeastern culture: Zé Bezerra, Zé Lagoa and Seu Vavá. On the eve of St. Anthony’s day (June,12), the Jackson do Pandeiro Pyramid will house a collective wedding ceremony. This covered space will also host a lively parade of quadrilles.

In 2007, Caruaru’s St.John’s Feast (31/05- 28/06) received an investment of 6 million reais  and generated a return of 10 million reais. In 2008, 200 attractions, like Zé Ramalho (21/6), Dominguinhos (22/6) and Elba Ramalho (26/6) will perform in the Luiz Lua Gonzaga Park. The spirited quadrilles have suggestive names. In the “Sapadrille”, women are dressed as men whereas in the “Gaydrille”, men are dressed as women and they all exchange roles in the “Trokadrille” to dance around the city’s main streets. The performance of the bacamarteiros, a group named after the riffles they carry , is one of the main traditions of this feast.

Poets, emboladores de coco and repentistas (improv performers) perform at the Popular Culture and Art Center in Campina Grande. Visitors should also go to  Vila Nova da Rainha, which recreates the atmosphere of old Campina Grande and travel to the Galante district on the Trem do Forró, where travelers listen to live music g fduring the 75-minute train journey. The Casa do Milho in Campina Gran­de is a feast for the stomach with its corn-based dishes. In Caruaru, there is a festival of super-sized food, like the world's biggest cuscuz (steamed tapioca pudding) and the 440 lb pamonha made with 3 thousand corn cobs.
Visitors to Campina Grande, located 75 miles from João Pessoa, can stay at the Hotel Garden (Rua Enge­nheiro José Bezerra, 400, Mirante - tel: 83 3310-4000). Caruaru has restaurants, bars, a shopping mall and hotels like the Village (BR-232,Km 129, Petrópolis tel.: 81 3722-5544).

Other cities also host large celebrations. The main ones in Bahia take place in Amargosa (18 to 24/6), Cruz das Almas (19 to 24/6) and Senhor do Bonfim (19 to 24/6). In Aracaju, around 100 thousand people are expected at the Forró Caju (14 to 29/6) every day. In the North of Brazil, the June feasts are enriched by the boi-bumbá, a folk celebration common in states like Maranhão, Amazonas and Pará. The carcass of an ox takes the spotlight in this tradition that combines dance, music and acting. In Maranhão, performances take place throughout June and end on 30th,the feast day of St. Marçal. Parintins, in the Amazonas state, hosts the main boi-bumbá festival in the country. The town’s population will double during the event. So, get ready to dance the forró and fill your belly with culinary delights because the Feast of St.John ends only on the 30th in the north and northeast of Brazil.