Samora Correia riverside area on May 16, 17 and 18 – free admission
The Lezírias Ribatejanas Carolino Rice Festival is a great gastronomic event, which stands out for its innovative concept of the Rice Stalls, with traditional cuisine and an innovative twist; for the Rice Academy, where visitors can learn to cook rice dishes with the support of a real chef; for the excellent catering space; for the great concerts with free admission; for an excellent children’s area and differentiated entertainment over the three days. Last year we had around 90,000 visitors and we hope to raise the bar for this year’s edition.
Gastronomy/Animation/Crafts/Concerts /Children’s and Radical Area/Producers/Rice Academy/Shows
The Festival integrates different functional areas, while maintaining a focus on gastronomy, namely in the space we have designated as the Rice Square, where the live cooking area is concentrated: the Rice Stalls (a differentiating concept), the Rice with Jam stall and the restaurant area.
Another large area includes an exhibition area for handicrafts and regional products.
The cultural program features a strong musical line-up, with renowned national acts such as The Gift, Tony Carreira and T-Rex . Likewise, the dynamics with collectivities and associations are promoted, giving expression to the culture and arts of the municipality.
THE INNOVATIVE CONCEPT OF RICE STALLS
As far as tastings at the Rice Square are concerned, the stalls offer carolino rice in different presentations, ranging from the most traditional to the most contemporary. In this model, which has been particularly well received by the public, visitors can buy a “tasting KIT” which allows them to choose between two different presentations of Arroz Carolino. Buy your kit online HERE
New flavors to taste at the 7th edition of the Lezírias Ribatejanas Carolino Rice Festival
The delicacies will once again be prepared with love by the Chefs: Célia Mendes and Eduardo Duarte (BlanK’s Executive Chef) are in charge of the Rice Stalls, joined by Rita Souto and David Marques. In addition to the successful dishes we tasted at the stalls last year, the chefs are proposing some interesting new dishes for 2025: rabbit carolino with peas; oven-baked carolino with wild bull; greens carolino with sardine fillets; bell pepper and garden fish carolino; cabidela carolino with country chicken; tomato carolino with codfish pataniscas; country and sea carolino; catarino bean carolino with stewed cheek, among many others.
RICE ACADEMY
“Discover all the magic of the Lezírias Ribatejanas Carolino Rice Festival”!
At the Rice Academy, there are workshops to learn the secrets of real curry rice. Several chefs will be teaching all those who sign up how to cook dishes with arroz carolino.
Get ready for an incredible gastronomic experience! Register for the Academy HERE
The Praça do Arroz also includes a restaurant area, this year with: Comissão da Sardinha Assada de Benavente; Comissão de Festas do Posto Alto; Restaurante Chico do Porto and Ordem da Cabidela (Bom Sucesso).
CHILDREN WILL LOVE THE CHILDREN’S AREA AT THE LEZÍRIAS RIBATEJANAS ARROZ CAROLINO FESTIVAL
Our Festival is an event for the whole family. We’ve prepared a very special Children’s Area so that the kids feel well cared for and a children’s show with “As canções da Maria (Maria de Vasconcelos)”, on May 18th, at 18H00.
On May 16, 17 and 18, the Lezírias Ribatejanas Carolino Rice Festival will be held in the riverside area of Samora Correia. We’re waiting for ALL of you, whatever your age, because the Rice Stalls have menus of Carolino das Lezírias Ribatejanas that will please adults and children alike.
CHILDREN’S AREA
Giant inflatables (free access)
Swimming pool with boats (free access)
Escalda
Slide
Popcorn and cotton candy area
Gummy bears area
Face painting
Support bar that will serve parents or guardians, so that they can keep an eye out while enjoying a drink.
FESTIVAL AUDIENCES
The Festival is an event that aims to appeal to different types of public, but it is also a privileged place for families to enjoy a wide range of gastronomy, entertainment, sport and culture. Gastronomy naturally plays a major role, allowing the public to taste the different flavors that this product of exceptional quality can produce. In this sense, we welcome audiences from the most diverse geographical origins, where everyone is challenged to experience these flavors and enjoy the space and entertainment. If the Festival is primarily aimed at a public that is looking for gastronomy, with a special focus on the flavours provided by the arroz carolino from the Ribatejo lezírias, the constant entertainment on the different stages and the concerts by nationally renowned bands.
AN ECO AND ACCESSIBLE EVENT – ARROZ CAROLINO FESTIVAL FOR EVERYONE
Environmental concerns, such as reducing the ecological footprint, are a priority in the organization of this event, as are issues of inclusion and accessibility.
At the two entrances and inside the Festival there are corridors for wheelchair users;
WC for the disabled;
Lift platform in front of the main stage so that visitors with reduced mobility can attend the concerts;
Reusable cups – re-fill concept (with the obvious aim of reducing plastic consumption, the cups with the event’s brand can be purchased in all the spaces that offer drinks, and are reusable).
The consumables to be used during the live cooking and tasting sessions will be non-plastic disposables;
The “Arroz Carolino” kit includes a small, reusable plastic casserole dish, which is also merchandised as part of the event; the same kit also includes a wooden fork; all these materials are supplied to the public in a bag with the event’s branding, which is also reusable;
Existence of waste containers on the premises with separation by material (ecopoints);
Part of the lighting is LED;
Free public transport, which allows access to the festival site from various points in the municipality, avoiding large crowds and queues of vehicles.
