The Holy Ghost Feast has been canceled, a first in 100 years, according to Holy Ghost Association president Gina deBettencourt. The event was scheduled for July 18 and 19. The long tradition of the Holy Ghost Feast on the Vineyard began on farmland before transitioning to the Portuguese-American Club property in Oak Bluffs, deBettencourt said. The event includes a parade, folk dancers, and a variety of Portuguese cuisine, including a type of soup Queen Isabella was said to have provided to her people following a famine.
“It’s sad,” deBettencourt said of the cancellation. She added, “We know it has to be done.”
The Holy Ghost Association is exploring a smaller-scale event for the fall, and the possibility of a “grab and go” event in July, deBettencourt said.
