São Cristóvão Fair

The São Cristóvão Fair (Feira de São Cristóvão), officially the Luiz Gonzaga Center of Northeastern Traditions (Centro Luiz Gonzaga de Tradições Nordestinas), is a huge pavilion in the São Cristóvão neighborhood, in the North Zone, devoted to the culture of Brazil’s Northeast. The name honors Luiz Gonzaga, the King of Baião, according to Wikipedia.

The Northeast inside Rio

For many years the Northeastern fair was held outdoors, in the parking area around Campo de São Cristóvão. It was considered the largest concentration of Northeastern traditions outside the Northeast itself, according to Wikipedia. In 2003, the city moved the fair inside the pavilion.

What you will find

According to Wikipedia, Northeastern culture appears there in many forms, especially:

• Music: forró and other Northeastern rhythms on two large stages, plus repentistas, singers who improvise verses.
• Food: typical dishes from the Northeast.
• Shopping: typical products from the Northeast.

For foreign visitors, it is a chance to discover a side of Brazil that does not appear on the South Zone postcards.

The pavilion

The building was constructed in the late 1950s to host international exhibitions and opened in 1962. Architect Sérgio Bernardes’s design created one of the largest beam-free covered areas in the world at the time and won first prize for architecture and structure at the Brussels International Exhibition in 1958, according to Wikipedia. The original roof was destroyed by a fire in 1990 and by a windstorm in 1991.

Getting there and what to combine

São Cristóvão is in the North Zone, in the same area as the Maracanã. Go by taxi or ride-hailing app, or check the lines in getting around Rio. For more live music, see samba and nightlife in Lapa, and the city’s food in where to eat in Rio.