To Yvonne Gonsalves, the Onset Cape Verdean Festival is more than just music and food. It's a way for children and adults of Cape Verdean heritage to remember their roots – roots she worries they are forgetting.

“It is concerning to me that that I don’t see enough young people going,” said Gonsalves, this year’s festival public relations volunteer. “It is important to keep our heritage alive.”

The festival will take place this year on Saturday, Aug. 8 at the Onset Bandshell. Though it will be a large affair, with more than 100 vendors selling everything from food to jewelry and art, Gonsalves worries that her fellow middle-aged Cape Verdeans and their children feel less of a connection to their heritage because they weren't part of the original migration from Cape Verde.

“I think kids today, and even people my age, don’t remember [the community] as it used to be,” Gonsalves said. “It used to be very community-oriented, and people looked out for each other.”

But this, Gonsalves said, is where the festival comes in.

“The festival brings people back together, and makes people remember,” she said. “The dancing, the laughter – it’s all part of it. It’s one of the few [festivals] of its kind.”

Gonsalves said the festival is “very traditional” and involves a lot of traditional Cape Verdean food and –perhaps more importantly– Cape Verdean music.

“We are really famous for our music,” Gonsalves said. “Even though the islands are changing somewhat, we do keep to the traditions.”

And to Gonsalves, the people on those island and their struggle cannot be forgotten.

“The climate is dry, and they don’t get enough water,” she said. “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 free, 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 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