Portuguese Exhibit to Debut at Farm Labor & Agriculture Museum

The History of Tulare County Farm Labor & Agriculture Museum will debut a new exhibit this Saturday – Cultivating a Heritage: The Success of the Portuguese in Tulare County.

The public is invited to attend a reception to honor the opening of the new exhibit from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the museum, located inside of Mooney Grove Park in Visalia. Admission to the park and the museum is free.

“Tulare County is proud to honor the Portuguese community and the contributions they have made to the San Joaquin Valley,” said Pete Vander Poel, Chairman of the Board of Supervisors. “I would like to extend an invitation to the public to attend this important event.”

This exhibit marks the seventh cultural group this Tulare County museum has featured since it opened in October 2009. For each exhibit, museum officials partner with community members and local organizations to tell each culture’s story of contributions to agriculture in the San Joaquin Valley.

Tulare County museum officials have collaborated with members of the local Portuguese community to create an exhibit that will tell the story of the influence that this community has had on Tulare County.  Photographs and artifacts from local Portuguese families aim to showcase the Portuguese culture, which includes a wide variety of elements such as a strong influence in the dairy industry, annual festas and strong family ties.  

The exhibit opening program will include: Traditional Portuguese dancing from the Azores Islands performed by students of Tulare Union High School, a demonstration of the 15 string guitar that is native to the Island of Terceira in Portugal by musician Michael Vieira, and brief talks by community members featured in the accompanying video produced by Tulare County Office of Education.  

Cheeses and sweet bread, provided by The Tulare Angra Sister City Foundation and SOPAS-Society of Portuguese-American Students, will be available for tasting during the event.

For additional information please call Museum Curator Amy King at 559/733-6616.