Festa Julina Wheaton: A Brazilian Summer Festival in Maryland
EducArte invites the community to celebrate Brazilian culture at our Festa Julina, a free outdoor festival in Wheaton featuring live music, dance, Wheaton-based Brazilian food vendors, and Brazilian artist vendors. The event is rooted in Brazil’s beloved Festa Junina tradition, a harvest festival that is the country’s second-biggest celebration after Carnival.
Schedule (subject to change)
- 12:00 PM – Batalá – All-women Afro-Brazilian samba reggae drumming
- 12:30 PM – Jo Silva – Sertanejo and piseiro concert
- 1:45 PM – Capoeira demo by Angá Capoeira
- 2:00 PM – Quadrilha (Brazilian traditional group dance) called by Nat Pela
- 2:30 PM – Forró dance lesson
- 3:00 PM – Felipe Hostins Trio – Forró pé de serra concert
- 4:00 PM – Festival ends
Confirmed food vendors
- Americas Supermarket / Cantinho Caipira (traditional Festa Junina foods)
- By Brazil (açaí, doces/cakes and desserts, brigadeiros)
- The Brazilian Place (salgadinhos)
- The Churrasco (Brazilian barbecue)
Arts market vendors
- Bonita Brazil (jewelry)
- Fine Ceramics Functional Art (ceramics)
- Golden Flora (clothing)
- Wheaton Arts Parade (local artists)
- More coming soon!
➡️ Interested in being a vendor? Apply to participate in the arts market by filling out THIS INTEREST FORM.
Entertainment
Felipe Hostins Trio
Felipe Hostins is a composer, accordionist, and multi-instrumentalist from Blumenau, Santa Catarina, Brazil, who began playing accordion with his grandfather at age three and moved to the United States at 21 to launch his international career. Drawing on a wide range of musical traditions, he has forged a distinctive sound that blends Brazilian roots with global influences. Hostins is a featured composer and performer on Cyro Baptista’s acclaimed album CHAMA and co-composer and performer of IMIGRA with Ian Ruas, and he has appeared at major festivals in Brazil, Portugal, and across the United States, including the National, Richmond, and Montana Folk Festivals. In 2024, he was a finalist for Brazil’s Prêmio da Música Instrumental and was recently highlighted at the American Accordionists’ Association Gala.
Dora Flor is a percussionist, singer, and educator whose lifelong love of music and movement is rooted in the rhythms and soul of Brazilian culture. She has brought Brazilian music and dance to prestigious institutions such as Princeton University and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, sharing the joy and depth of these traditions with diverse audiences. A passionate dance teacher and co-founder of Forró Brooklyn Dance School, Dora is known for her joyful presence, clear teaching style, and care for every student on and off the dance floor. She brings that same energy to our Festa Julina and can’t wait to dance forró with you.
Davi Massapê is a singer, percussionist, composer, and educator deeply rooted in the Brazilian rhythms of samba and forró. Based in New York City, he has performed at events such as Make Music NY and Open Streets, and has shared his love of Brazilian music and dance with students at Princeton University and Middlebury Language School. As co-founder of Forró Brooklyn Dance School and half of the duo Flor de Massapê, Davi approaches every project with warmth, curiosity, and musical sensitivity. He is delighted to join EducArte in celebrating Festa Julina and to invite you onto the dance floor for an evening of Brazilian music and community.
Jo Silva
Jo Silva is a sertanejo singer born in Jauru, Mato Grosso, who has resided in the US since 2005. Based in the Maryland/DC area, he has performed all over the East Coast, bringing his unique Brazilian flavor to events.
Batalá Washington
Batalá Washington is an all-women Afro-Brazilian samba reggae percussion band whose mission is to empower women and share the vibrant Afro-Bahian culture of Salvador, Brazil, through drumming. Their powerful rhythms, colorful costumes, and energetic choreography create an unforgettable visual and musical experience for audiences across the DC area. An all-volunteer group of more than 80 members, Batalá Washington is part of a global Batalá network and supports cultural exchange with Bahia through scholarships, locally made instruments and costumes, and community events such as their annual “Be a Drummer for a Day” workshop.
Thau Oliveira, event emcee
Thauani (Thau) Oliveira is a content creator, model, and Brazilian businesswoman based in the DC area. Passionate about art, culture, and community, she uses her platforms to connect people through creativity and to represent and share the value of Brazilian culture abroad. As EducArte’s ambassador, Thau seeks to amplify the visibility of Brazilian cultural initiatives in the DMV, promoting our community’s events, artists, music, cuisine, and histories.
Parking and transportation
The Wheaton Metro Station (Red Line) is within a 1-minute walking distance of Marian Fryer Town Plaza. Find directions here.
There is free parking at the Wheaton Metro Parking Garage:
11030 Veirs Mill Rd, Silver Spring, MD 20902
You may also park at Montgomery County Parking Lot 13 (Next to the Mid-County Regional Services Center building):
11030 Veirs Mill Rd, Silver Spring, MD 20902
Educarte Incorporated, dba EducArte, is supported in part by funding from the Montgomery County Government and the Arts & Humanities Council of Montgomery County.
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