Lights throughout the city, garlands, reindeer, and nutcracker soldiers. Since October, the city of Gramado (RS) has transformed into the “Magical City of Christmas.” Outdoors, the beauty of Natal Luz, with decorated and illuminated streets, will last until January 30. However, to ensure the safety of residents and visitors to the country’s most traditional Christmas festival, the shows in large arenas have been canceled.
“In this process of resuming tourism in the country, undoubtedly, the opening of the festival is a milestone for the sector and symbolizes how it is possible to combine the return of tourist activities with the biosafety protocols necessary to protect tourists and residents,” evaluates the Minister of Tourism, Marcelo Álvaro Antônio.
This year, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the festival features a mobile stage that brings daily artistic performances to various parts of the city at 7 PM. It is called “Rotas e Notas,” as explained by Rafael Carniel, president of Gramadotur, the event organizer. “In a survey, about 50% of the visiting audience claims that the best way to enjoy Gramado is by walking. Therefore, at night, different attractions will pass before our eyes, without needing to concentrate in front of a fixed stage,” he shares.
Sanitary monitors will support compliance with distancing protocols. All visitors and residents must wear masks and will have hand sanitizer available in public and private spaces. “The 35th edition does not wish to create crowds but to bring people together, even from afar, through love and remembrance. To bring closer to the heart and to remind of the meaning of Christmas,” says Carniel.
The decoration of the largest edition in the festival’s history, lasting 101 days, features 2.5 million LED lights. The city’s lights, as well as the arches of Av. das Hortênsias, the main local avenue, will be lit daily at 8 PM. Meanwhile, Rua Pedro Bonetti, located in the city center, has transformed into the Reindeer Street, showcasing works by regional visual artists that this year pay tribute to immigration in Gramado.
The “good old man,” of course, is there and welcomes visitors at Santa Claus’s House, in the Christmas Village, located in Praça das Etnias, where handmade products can also be found. The space is open from 10 AM to 10 PM. Santa interacts with tourists and the community, following all biosafety protocols recommended by the Ministry of Health, from 2 PM to 6 PM.
The Christmas Troupe, formed by a group of actors, will perform 1,200 theatrical and musical presentations in restaurants, hotels, and parks around the city. There will be 12 daily appearances, each lasting 15 minutes, at the theme park Mundo a Vapor, always at 3 PM. “The Christmas Troupe is present in various places in the city, from morning to night, always bringing magic to environments that have public control and their own protocols,” explains Rafael Carniel.
The traditional Gramado Symphony Orchestra will perform a series of 35 presentations during the 10:30 AM mass at the São Pedro Matriz Church, integrating erudition and faith. The traditional concert conducted by maestro Linus Lerner will take place on December 13 at 1 PM, also at the Matriz Church. On December 15, in celebration of the city’s anniversary, another concert is scheduled in Linha Nova, in the interior of Gramado.
It is also important to note the already traditional Christmas tree decoration contest, one of the symbols of Christmas. The so-called Tannenbaumfest took place on November 7. On this date, local companies gathered to decorate the trees spread along Av. Borges de Medeiros. There are a total of 35 trees, in reference to the number of festival editions.
Source: Ministry of Tourism