João Pessoa's São João festivities boost family farms and informal merchants

The João Pessoa municipal government, through Secretary of Urban Development Marmuthe Cavalcanti, launched the 10th edition of the Festival do Milho at the Central de Comercialização da Agricultura Familiar (Cecaf) from 20 to 23 June. The four‑day event will host 30 family‑farm corn growers, 20 craft exhibitors and 10 food entrepreneurs, aiming to sell about 15,000 corn ears and generate up to R$ 1 million in economic activity. Cultural programming includes regional music and literature performances, and the secretary emphasized that “this edition seeks to transform seasonal demand into a major showcase for family agriculture.”

Separately, Sedurb held a lottery on 17 June to allocate 200 informal‑merchant stalls for the São João Multicultural celebration at Parque Solon de Lucena, scheduled for 19 to 24 June. Selected vendors must comply with a formal authorization process and event‑area rules. The municipality highlighted that the festival will provide organized commercial space, security and logistics while promoting Northeastern culture through free forró shows and other performances.