"Through culture, we want to breathe life into the centre and contribute to the local economy of this traditional area. These are the first steps toward revitalising the centre and putting it on the region's agenda," Sérgio Silva, the councillor for Culture, explained to the Lusa news agency.

Sixteen events will take place between 1pm and 8:30pm across four streets, a public square, and a parking lot in Marinha Grande.

“Quarteirão d’A Fábrica” begins with an open-air community lunch in Guilherme Stephens Square, organised by the Marinha Grande Commercial and Industrial Association.

The program runs into the evening and features music by Inês Apenas, including an improvised choir session and a performance with the group Equinócio, along with a fashion show featuring volunteers, street performances, conversations with veteran glassmakers, contemporary circus acts, workshops, art installations, visual arts and craft exhibitions, traditional games, and snacks.

In some vacant shops, artists will paint murals referencing their former uses, while on Rua Marquês de Pombal, a participatory installation will create a panel themed around the city of Marinha Grande.

The aim is to refocus attention on the city's traditional core, creating a "cultural and lively movement that places this historic area in the spotlight."

"Quarteirão d’A Fábrica" ​​(The Factory Block) is an evolution of the "Quarteirão Cultural" (Cultural Block) project, which in previous editions revitalised the spaces surrounding the Stephens heritage site.

This special edition incorporates the "A Fábrica" ​​project, created as part of the bid for the Portuguese Network of Theatres and Cinema-Theaters, to foster connections among artists, creators, cultural agents, and local residents interested in art and culture.

On Saturday, at Quarteirão d’A Fábrica, many of these creators, currently numbering over thirty, will showcase their work while also curating and producing the event's program.

"We want this initiative to mobilise the population of Marinha Grande and raise awareness about cultural engagement and creation," noted Sérgio Silva, adding that "this is a place of culture that should be experienced firsthand."

"Quarteirão d’A Fábrica serves to build audiences, revitalise this part of the city, and raise awareness about this vital aspect of life: culture," he concluded.