Brazil in your own backyard

So you don’t have the money to jet off to Brazil for the Festa de São João? Relax. It’s winter there anyway. Who needs jet lag when the sun is shining in Sacramento and the Brazilian Arts Center is throwing a Festa de São João party for the locals? The air will pulse with the rhythmic music of South America and the spicy smells of Brazilian barbecue. See Samba, Forro, Lambada and Quadrilhas as well as the playfully combative art of Capoeira performed by dynamic dancers. If you find yourself inspired to learn these Brazilian dances, take advantage of lessons throughout the day. Post-Samba, replenish your body with traditional Brazilian food and beverages. The Festa lasts from noon until 7 p.m. on Sunday June 30, and costs $5 (a small price to pay for a virtual trip to the Southern Hemisphere!). Sacramento’s own Brazilian outpost, the Brazilian Arts Center, is located at 2427 17th St. Call 448-2988 or visit www.capoeiraandsamba.com for more information.