“We will have three significant events in the municipality in the coming months. The AquiDão Fest, next weekend, is more focused on digital neighbourhoods; a street food festival; also in May, Expo Dão, with a greater focus on the business sector; and, in July, our municipal festivities,” announced the mayor of Carregal do Sal, Paulo Catalino Ferraz.

Expo Dão, from 21 to 24 May, is "commercial and business-driven," with "a strong emphasis on Carregal do Sal's local products," in the Viseu district, including "pine cones, pine nuts, Dão wine, and sparkling wine," the mayor noted.

"These standout products deserve promotion at Expo Dão," emphasised Paulo Catalino Ferraz, noting that "10 booths" from local wine estates have been confirmed. These estates have also been challenged to develop a new wine.

Paulo Catalino Ferraz anticipates being "impressed" by an Aristides de Sousa Mendes wine, a brand he "hopes will enter the market and originate from the municipality" of Carregal do Sal.

“Last year we had a discussion about pine cones and pine nuts, where the challenges of this local product were debated, and this year we very much want to continue, even after we have taken some measures to help this sector,” he emphasised.

These products "inspired local pastry shops to craft new sweets" using pine nuts, and the event "will further showcase this vital product" in the municipality.

Expo Dão will also feature a "joint rice dish, prepared with inputs from every parish" of Carregal do Sal.

"Each parish will provide its most distinctive ingredient to create a rice dish showcasing the municipality's strength, diversity, vitality, variety, and creativity," he said.

Also during Expo Dão, the second edition of the Dão Sparkling Wine Rally will take place, “following last year’s success,” and the focus on sparkling wine is a way to promote this product, which still doesn’t have the recognition it deserves – the Dão region has excellent quality sparkling wine.

Among the highlighted local products are “also Serra da Estrela cheese, Carregal do Sal is a demarcated region, and in the sausage category, there is a new Portuguese stew sausage, created in Carregal do Sal, which won the innovation award.”

“The municipality of Carregal do Sal has always been closely associated with salt in the past, and over time, we haven’t sufficiently valued what this product represented in the municipality, and at this Expo Dão, we will have a stand about salt and its derivatives to talk about the history of this municipality,” the mayor also revealed.

Between 12 and 20 July, the town's festivities take place, an event "more focused on the celebrations of the population, with music and traditions" - and with that in mind, throughout the nine days, the stage in the town square will host various national artists.