01/29/2025
It is with a heavy heart that we announce that the San Joaquin Valley Portuguese Festival is canceled for 2025. We cherish this festival deeply and appreciate its role these past five years in celebrating the Portuguese culture and raising awareness and funds for Race for Autism. This year, we faced multiple challenges leading to this tough decision.
The Carlos Vieira Foundation continues to receive more and more requests for help every year. Just in 2024, we awarded 70% more grants to children with autism in California’s Central Valley. With the growing need in our community and our position as a small, family-run nonprofit, we must refocus our resources on maintaining our programs and other forms of fundraising.
We want to thank everyone who has supported our festival over the years, especially our loyal presenting sponsor, PFSA, the Portuguese Fraternal Society of America. The decision to pause this beloved event was not made lightly, but moving forward as a fundraiser without more dedicated sponsors like PFSA and Simplot Grower Solutions is impossible. We sincerely hope we have the opportunity to revive the event in 2026 with more support from volunteers and sponsors. If you’re interested in supporting or sponsoring the return of our festival in the future, please contact us at [email protected]! Your involvement will make a meaningful difference.
If you’d like to continue supporting the Carlos Vieira Foundation’s work in the community, please consider donating to our cause at carlosvieirafoundation.org.
Thank you for your understanding and unwavering support.
