Brique da Redenção in Porto Alegre

Every Sunday from 9AM to 6PM the Porto Alegrense (those who were born/ or live in Porto Alegre)  walk and relax in their favorite place: Brique da Redenção. It is located on Avenue José Bonifácio -Parque Farropilha. Here is a map [Link in maintenance]. To create a more relaxing atmosphere, the avenue is closed to cars all Sundays.

 Brique da Redenção is a fair where you can find dozens of booths with crafts, fine arts, antiques, and food.  It was created in 1978 because the Municipal Administration of Porto Alegre decided to develop an antiques fair modeled after  San Telmo in Buenos Aires and Mercado de Pulgas in Montevidéu. Its first name was Mercado das Pulgas, but in 2000 the name Brique da Redenção was registered and it is what we have called it ever since.

In the area of fine arts, there are paintings, artist who create caricatures, wooden art, and sculptures. You can find crafts made from various materials such as leather, silver, wire, wood, resin, iron, plaster, glass, and porcelain. The fair is ideal for antiques collectors seeking rare objects. This is one of the best parts of the fair, because you can find things like old phones and drawer knobs, and other beautiful things . There is also a variety of foods, ranging from snacks to pastries, cookies, pies and various juices. If you are into  honey, biscuits, and other homemade delicacies, you will be at the right place. Currently, there are 180 exhibitors of crafts, 70 of antiques , 40 of fine arts, and 10 of culinary items.

In this traditional fair, you can also find rustic toys, kits for chimarrão, miniature cars and souvenirs for your friends. The vendors are friendly and you can touch most of the objects while you are looking at them. The prices are not bad. It is always worth it to check out the Brique da Redenção for gifts, for example, instead going to expensive stores at the mall.

However, don’t think the Brique da Redenção is only a place to shop. Going there is always a surprise, because you will never know what you will see. Sometimes there are clowns juggling and people cheering. Other times, you can get lucky and watch an art show by those who want to enrich the fair by bringing cultural events. It is really fun for  the whole family! Don’t forget your camera because pictures are allowed.

Another way to enjoy your day there, is visiting the Parque Redenção. It is a huge park where you can find a lot of trees (incidentally, Porto Alegre has many of them), shade, and grass where you can just sit and talk. There are also some activities for the kids, such as swings and slides. Balls are allowed and the children are always playing.

Brique da Redenção is full of people walking, talking, drinking chimarrão, and just relaxing, especially on sunny weekend mornings. If you want to stay all day, don’t hesitate to have a lunch there and enjoy the park Redenção in the afternoon. Here is a good tip: bring a blanket or towel because after lunch you will want to take a nap. Believe me, it is so peaceful, you can´t resist an afternoon nap.

 Have a great time, I´ll see you there