Pedestrian mall / street / zone / plaza / (only) way
Car-free / auto-free zone
Promenade
A pedestrian mall (also known as a pedestrian street)
are areas of a city or town reserved for pedestrian only use. It is a street lined with storefronts and closed off to most automobile traffic. Emergency vehicles have access at all times and delivery vehicles are restricted to either limited delivery hours or entrances on side streets.
Oktoberfest in Blumenau is a whole world apart from any Oktoberfest celebration around the world. It takes place in Blumenau, a very German city in Brazil. Also the pretty city of Pomerode is just a short distance away. So, here are the top 10 reasons why you must celebrate Oktoberfest in Brazil.
1. The second largest Oktoberfest
Blumenau hosts the world’s second largest Oktoberfest! The Brazilian city of Blumenau hosts over 700,000 visitors to Oktoberfest per year (the city only has a population of around 300,000) for 18 days of beer guzzling, dancing, singing, parades, fun, oh and some German culture with that Brazilian flair! It is a party not to be missed.
2. Location
Blumenau and Pomerode are situated in the European Valley in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil. This area was named such due to the beautiful rolling green hills and land that was settled by Europeans mainly from Germany and Italy. The views are amazing. Imagine rolling green hills with quaint little German style farms and homes, near streams and rivers, cows grazing freely. The countryside here is absolutely beautiful!
3. The most German city in Brazil
A short drive from Blumenau lies the small city of Pomerode. Pomerode is called the most German city in Brazil. Most of this city’s inhabitants are bilingual in German and Portuguese.
You can visit the entrance of the city, the Portal Wolfgange Weege and have a wonderful German lunch of bratwurst, sauerkraut, spatzle, and schnitzel. The woman at the visitor’s center will also allow you to wear a traditional German costume and take pictures for free!
4. The costumes
Brazilians love to dress up in costume! You can purchase your own traditional German costume at many of the areas gift shops. People who wear costumes to Oktoberfest get in half priced! The amount of people dressed up in German clothing just brings extra excitement and fun to the festivities. It puts everyone in the mood to have a great time!
5. People watching
Brazil is home to some of the most beautiful people in the world, in part due to having so much ethnic diversity.
6. The food
With the large German immigrant community you are bound to have some quality German food. It is all available – schnitzel, sausages, spetztl, etc. However, being Brazilian they have put their own spin on things. The batata recheada – or stuffed potato – rules all at the Blumenau Oktoberfest.
7. The weather
The weather in Brazil in October is amazing. It is spring and it’s not too hot and not cold. The temperature runs between 69 and 85 degrees fahrenheit this time of year.
8. The beaches
Blumenau is close proximity to some of the most beautiful beaches in the world! Where else can you party at one of the largest Oktoberfest’s in the world one day and lay out in your swimsuit at the beach the next?
9. The beer
You can enjoy Oktoberfest even if you are not a beer drinker. If you don’t like beer try some of the wines local to Brazil and the famous Brazilian cocktail the Caipirinha! For the non-drinkers out there, Brazil is known for having some of the best fresh juices in the world!
10. The parades
The Oktoberfest parade is full of beautiful dancing men and women, children, sleeping babies being pulled in wagons while parents enjoyed a few beers, bicycles, fun German themed floats, a giant pig float, marching bands, lively music pumped from speakers on the floats, folkloric groups, hunting and shooting clubs, Oktoberfest royalty, and the list goes on and on. Everyone goes to the parade, both young and old. The parade goers are also participants, singing and dancing along, catching trinkets thrown their way, as well as cheering for the people in the procession. The parade occurs every Wednesday at 7:30p.m. and every Saturday at 4:00 p.m. in downtown Blumenau. Attending the parade is a must to get into the party mood!
Women form the majority of the Brazilian voters, more than 53% of all voters. But at this elections in October 2, only 31.39% of the candidates for mayor, vice-mayor, and councilors are women.
According to the Electoral Court, in total, 475,363 candidates are licensed to receive votes in this year’s municipal elections, 326,149 (68.61%) are men and 149,214 (31.39%) are women.
In general, despite the difference, parties and coalitions managed to observe the Election Law that established a minimum of 30% and a maximum 70% for candidates of each gender.
The requirement was imposed after the so-called minor election reform was approved in 2009, and changed a part of the legislation that expressed “should reserve” for “must reserve” a minimum. Thus, as the number of licenses granted for women’s candidates has not reached the minimum of 30%, the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) has demanded parties or coalitions to reduce the number of men’s candidates to reach the gender quota.
Age group
According to the TSE, most candidates are aged between 45 and 49 years old (74,353), followed by candidates between 40 and 44 years old (73.802), 50 to 54 years old (67 514) and 35 to 39 years old (67,140), respectively 15.64%, 15.53%, 14.20% and 14.12%.
Candidates aged between 18 and 19 years old reach 0.45% (2,119) of those able to run the elections, while 3.11% (14 780) of candidates are aged between 20 and 24, and 6.08% (28 913), between 25 and 29.
