Truly a family and community affair, the 116th annual United Portuguese S.E.S. Festa do Espírito Santo, honoring Portuguese religious and cultural traditions, returns to Point Loma beginning Friday.Point Loma’s Festa once again looks forward to a memorable full weekend of celebration, tradition, family, friends and community spirit featuring live music, traditional food and drinks and the beloved parade.Festa 2026 is hosted by Pamela Rodrigues & Family with King Jackson Leo Emerson and Queen Aubrey Lincoln Flynn. Festa royalty proudly represent the United Portuguese S.E.S. Hall and community throughout the year’s celebrations, carrying forward the traditions, faith, and unity that make this event so meaningful.Rodrigues discussed how her family got involved with Festa and why the event has special meaning for her, noting she’s doing it in memory of her late mother, who, in 1999, wanted to do the Festa all herself. “She passed away, so she never got the opportunity to do it,” said Rodrigues. “I knew I wanted to do the Festa that she always wanted to have in her memory. I literally got the call from the Holy Spirit saying, ‘You have to do it. It felt like a tap on the shoulder.’ So, I said OK.”Rodrigues joked that knowing the workload to put the fest on, she even asked her family and friends to talk her out of running this year’s Festa. But they declined, telling her, “You have a calling.”Rodrigues noted the Festa is truly community-inspired and run. “Without the sponsors in the community, we wouldn’t have a Festa,” she said. “I have been blessed that a lot of the community has sponsored the fundraisers, donated, and underwrote a lot of things. One family can’t put on the whole Festa.”Asked what the Festa means to him, King Jackson Leo Emerson noted its deep meaning, while admitting that when he was small, he sort of “felt forced to do it while growing up.” “I ultimately knew that this means something,” he said. “It’s been going on for 100-plus years and is a huge part of the Portuguese community here in Point Loma. As I got older, I realized I’m very grateful for it (Festa), and it is something I want to continue doing.”Queen Aubrey Lincoln Flynn shared positive thoughts about Festa and her role in it. “My whole family has always done it,” she said. Flynn wanted to be part of that longstanding tradition. “As I got older, I realized how much it meant to me and how grateful I was for it,” she said. “I missed dressing up and the crowns. This is the biggest it can get: It’s really exciting.”The Festa Queen pointed out her role involves representing Queen Saint Isabella of Portugal, who was born on July 4, 1271, and is known for her acts of charity and devotion to the poor. The original idea behind the Festa was to make the poor royalty for a day, where they could eat and dance and escape from their lives of drudgery.“I represent Queen Saint Isabel and show how she helped our community,” noted Lincoln Flynn.In her president’s message to the community on Festa 2026, Rodrigues concluded: “It is an incredible honor that my Queen and King will represent the Holy Spirit and all Her glory—my cousin, Aubrey Lincoln Flynn, Festa 2026 Queen, and my son, Jackson Leo Emerson, Festa 2026 King—who, like my mom, is full of faith and love for our traditions. I could not be prouder. I feel so blessed to be part of a community that embraces our heritage with pride and unwavering faith. It truly takes a village to bring this beautiful celebration to life year after year. To everyone who supports the Festa and helps keep our traditions alive: thank you. None of this would be possible without our incredible, loving community.”For more information, visit the United State Portugese S.E.S website.
2026 Festa Royalty:
Queen: Aubrey Lincoln Flynn
King: Jackson Leo Emerson
Junior Queen: Aria Flynn
Junior King: John Flynn
Small Queen: Hailey Keltner
Small King: James Lamprides
Little Queen: Vivienne da Rosa
U.P.A.S.E.S HISTORY
In 1920, M.O. Medina saw the need for a common place for the Portuguese community to gather to celebrate the Festa do Espírito Santo, “Festival of the Holy Spirit.” He developed a committee to begin gathering the funds needed to build a chapel and community hall. He also led his committee throughout California to procure donations although roads were very difficult to travel. To complete construction work on the chapel, boat owners would leave a crew member at home paying him 25 cents a ton for his efforts.
In 1922 the Portuguese community of San Diego proudly inaugurated the United Portuguese Azorean Society of the Holy Spirit, Capela or the U.P.A.S.E.S. Chapel and Hall. The chapel is one of only two original California Portuguese chapels. As more Portuguese immigrated to San Diego, the need for a larger hall was recognized, as there were immigrants from the Azores, Madeira, and mainland Portugal. The community pooled together resources and acquired financing. The original hall from 1922 was then moved and a new hall was constructed. In 1948 the current U.P.S.E.S. Inc. Hall was opened. Medina served as the first president and remained so for 51 years.
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