The Spectacularization of Culture and Heritage in the Festas de Agosto of Montes Claros, Minas Gerais

Abstract

This ethnographic report examines the activities of one of the nights of the August Festivities in Montes Claros (MG), focusing mainly on those concentrated in Praça Dr. Chaves and Corredor Cultural Padre Dudu. Its aim is to highlight different facets of the city’s main cultural event and the contradictions surrounding its tangible and intangible heritage. In the interplay that unfolds during the festivities—where influence and power are unequally distributed—the spectacle of culture prevails, selectively manipulating heritage to favor consumption and the promotion of the city’s image. What is lost are the traditional knowledge and practices, painstakingly maintained and sustained by the willpower and passion of the members of the Catopês, Marujos, Caboclinhos, and folkloric groups.