LUDLOW, Mass. - It's year 75 of celebrating Our Lady Of Fatima and the theme for the 2023 FESTA is promoting a culture with so much history.

What You Need To Know

  • Our Lady of Fatima celebrated their 75th annual FESTA this labor day weekend

  • The five-day festival in Ludlow features food and music and brings in thousands of people to celebrate their faith and Portuguese heritage

  • Festa Vice President Tyler Martins grew up going to the annual Labor Day weekend event before taking on more responsibilities over the years

  • Coordinator Lisa Wegiel also grew up in Ludlow and attended the festa as a child

The five-day festival in Ludlow features food and music and brings in thousands of people to celebrate their faith and Portuguese heritage.

"So we're the biggest shrine outside of Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal itself here in the United States," Tyler Martins said. "So for 75 years we've been promoting Our Lady in her image, as well as maintaining the culture our portuguese heritage that we have here."

Festa Vice President Tyler Martins grew up going to the annual Labor Day weekend event and he’s taken on more responsibilities over the years.

"By middle school, I was volunteering in Dunkin' Donuts in soda," Martins said. "And when I became an adult, I helped out with the beer sections and then at one point during college, I had an opportunity to help out with the director side of things."

Coordinator Lisa Wegiel also grew up in Ludlow and attended the festa as a child. For her, it's the community of volunteers who make the weekend event so special.

 "The people that are working these stations that you see up in the pavilion," Wegiel said. "And quite a lot of them are not paid to do this they are completely volunteering their time and it's just amazing to see the passion that all of these people have and it does bring a tear to my eye and make me emotional because volunteerism is very important to me."

Hosting the FESTA is not easy, but for Martins and Wegiel, it's a project worth investing in.

"It's more so a passion for us," Martin's said. "Countless hours, a whole year of planning. We'll a take month off in September. We'll get back to brainstorming in October and go from there. We have to keep this going. I never want to something like this die."

"From somebody whose newer to being on the board with these gentleman," Wegiel said. "From the outside looking in, again, you can't even imagine what it takes to put this on, and it's all volunteering so these people are so amazing."