The 29th celebration of the Great Feast of the Holy Ghost in Fall River, a tradition that goes back to the 13th Century when Queen Isabel donated her crown as a votive gift to The Holy Ghost begging for famine ravaging her country to stop, stepped off from the Gates of the City on August 29, 2014. The event draws visitors of Portuguese heritage from as far away as California and Toronto, Canada, many of whom are staying with relatives in the Fall River Area. The first major event is a procession up Columbia Street on Saturday morning called the Bodo de Leite (Blessing of the Cows) Parade. Groups representing many of the clubs, bands and churches in the region marched in colorful costumes whose origins go back to villages in the Portuguese Azores from which most of those in attendance migrated from over the past century. Click here for an eight-minute video of the event. Click here for photos of the 2011 Holy Ghost Feast in Kennedy Park.

(Top row) Officials, including Senator Michael Rodrigues and Representatives Carole Fiola, Paul Schmid and Alan Silvia, start off the parade with the Portuguese Sports Club of Newark, NJ, at the bottom of Columbia Street. (Row two) Jose Pinto carries some farm tools while Catarina Tedeosio dances and Theresa Pimental and Ana Botelho get ready to pass out bread. (Row three) While spectators watch from their chairs, Raquel Cadacunha passes out sweet breead and Marcelinho Coelho, of the Fall River Soccer Club, passes out grilled pork. (Row four) As the Associaçâo Cultural 25 de Abril de Toranto band heads up Columbia Street, Nine-year-old Cadence Camara waves to the crowd and members of the Caridade Divine Espirito Savico of California pass out sweet bread. (Row five) Jose Veloza walks while the Sociedade Cultural Acoriana Folkloric Group performs some traditional dances. ((Row six) One-year-old Kinslee Braga gets a carton of milk from members of Irmandade Do Senhor Bom Jesus Da Vila De Rabo De Peixe-Usa of Seekonk while she sits on Brianna Correia's lap and the Irmandade Do Espiriti Santo do Pico group from New Bedford leaves the Gates of the City to join the parade. (Bottom row) The Grupo Folclórico da Cidade de Taunton plays until the parade ends on South Main Street and enters Kennedy Park where the Great Feast of the Holy Ghost is held each year.