Arte Doce takes place between July 24 and 28 at the Lagos sports complex
If you have a sweet tooth and will be in the Algarve later this month, then you will likely want to make your way over to Lagos. The town will host its popular Arte Doce sweets competition between July 24 and 28, boasting a variety of regional sweets, typical Algarve products, gastronomic demonstrations, concerts and much more.
While the event has grown over the years to offer an eclectic assortment of entertainment, the “heart of the event” continues to be the exhibition of regional sweets which are turned into works of art.
This year, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Portugal’s Carnation Revolution, the organisers have challenged participating bakers and confectioners to create sweet artworks inspired by ‘Liberty’, which will be this year’s ‘Mandatory Theme’. The sweets contest will also have its usual categories of ‘Free Theme’, ‘Innovation Sweets’ and ‘Quality in Tradition’ (Best Dom Rodrigo, Doce Fino, Morgado and Doce de Figo). Winners will be announced throughout the event, with the prize-giving ceremony scheduled for the closing day (July 28).
For those more interested in tasting the sweets themselves, there will be 35 stalls selling sweets inside the pavilion, as well as 41 handicraft stalls and 38 selling street food and food products.
Music also plays a major role in the event, with headlining performers this year including Expensive Soul (July 24), Fernando Daniel (July 25), Hybrid Theory – Linkin Park Tribute (July 26), Plutónio (July 27) and Luís Trigacheiro (July 28).
Anyone interested in learning how to make traditional Algarve sweets will also be able to take part in the ‘showcooking events’ led by the Algarve Regional Sweets Association (ADRA), which will be teaching participants how to make Dom Rodrigo (egg threads with cinnamon) and Doce Fino (the Algarve’s beautifully handmade marzipan sweets). Chefs will also be teaching visitors how to make traditional Algarve and Ribatejo dishes, while wine lovers can look forward to a lecture about ‘Wine in Culture and in Food’ led by Artur de Jesus and Fabiana Duarte.
The full programme can be found on the event’s website. Doors open every day at 6pm and close at midnight. Admission is free.
