The St Anthony Festival Lisbon Portuguese Festival is best spent in the capital of Portugal: Lisbon. It occurs around June 12-14th every year. What to expect It’s a celebration of Portugal’s patron saint St. Anthony and so there’s street parties, traditional dancing, fire works, bonfires and of course the scent of sardines: St Anthony is regarded as a mass miracle worker and among his finest achievements is talking to the fish, being the fstest proclaimed saint in only 1 year after his death! The whole historic area especially Madragoa in Santos (which is less touristic than Alfama district of Lisbon) is the best place to be for this festival.