This Saturday, the Cape Verdean Festival is bringing food, music, and fun to Onset for the 21st year in a row.

This year’s public relations volunteer Yvonne Gonsalves said she expects hundreds of people and hopes to see many local Cape Verdeans there.

“It's important to keep our heritage alive,” Gonsalves said. “I would like people not to forget where we came from, and where our parents came from.”

Gonsalves said festival goers can look forward to good food, and even better music.

“We do the traditions – we have a lot of food trucks, but we are really famous for our music,” Gonsalves said. “The dancing, the laughter – it’s all part of it. It’s one of the few [festivals] of its kind.”

The festival raises money for graduating local high school students, but Gonsalves said she and her fellow festival-goers shouldn't forget the Cape Verdeans who are still on their home islands.

“The climate is dry, and they don’t get enough water,” Gonsalves said of the islands. “It’s a tough place, right now. It’s the kind of place that you can’t forget they need help. A lot of people here are close to people there, but it is hard to help them get on their feet.”

The Onset Cape Verdean Festival is a nonprofit event, and will take place Aug. 8 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Onset Bandshell. Festival goers can park in one of three different parking lots for $10, and take a free shuttle bus down to the festival grounds. For more information, call Yvonne Gonsalves at 781-864-6282, or email capeverdeanfestival@gmail.com. Donations may be sent to the following address:

OCVFA
P.O. Box 722
Onset, MA 02558