This Saturday, the Katxupa Festival 2026 celebrates Cape Verdean culture through food, music, and tradition in Pawtucket, Rhode Island

The city of Pawtucket, in the state of Rhode Island, will host, next Saturday, August 22, 2026, the Katxupa Festival 2026, an event dedicated to celebrating Cape Verdean culture, cuisine, music, dance, and community spirit.

The festival will take place from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at 120 High St. in Pawtucket, where the street will be closed to accommodate the public. Admission is $10 and includes food samples, live entertainment, cultural experiences, and community activities.

At the heart of the program will be katxupa, or cachupa, Cape Verde’s national dish and one of the country’s greatest culinary symbols. More than just a traditional dish, the organizers highlight katxupa as a symbol of family, sharing, and unity across generations.

One of the highlights will be the Katxupa Contest, a competition that will bring together local chefs, community members, restaurants, and catering companies to showcase different recipes and ways of preparing this traditional Cape Verdean dish. There will also be a community competition to choose the best katxupa prepared by a community.

In addition to the food, the festival will feature live music, bringing together sounds from different generations, traditional and cultural dances, and activities for children.

The program will also include a component to support families in the community. During the event, school supplies will be distributed free of charge as part of an initiative to prepare for the return to school, helping local children and families as the new school year begins.

To complement the food, there will also be a bar for participants who want to “bafa” the katxupa, in addition to other surprises planned throughout the afternoon.

The organizers invite the Cape Verdean community and all those who appreciate Cape Verdean culture to join in an afternoon of food, music, dance, and fellowship.

The Katxupa Festival 2026 thus aims to transform one of Cape Verde’s greatest culinary traditions into a community celebration, bringing together different generations around the flavors, customs, and values that keep Cape Verdean culture alive in the diaspora.