A Laois Brazilian community group have appealed for Laois locals to support their latest fundraising initiative in aid of an important cultural celebration.

Laois Brazilian Support Association (LABRAS) will be hosting a Bake Sale on Sunday March 8, from 1pm to 4pm at Laois Partnership Company on New Road, Portlaoise.

LABRAS is a non-profit local community group, led by a dedicated team of volunteers, and has been running since 2020. The fundraiser is to support their largest annual event each year, the Festa Junina. Festa Junina is an annual celebration in Brazil, celebrated in the month of June.

Pictured: Festa Junina in Portlaoise, 2025. Photo: Renata Metelicka

"We warmly invite the community to join us for an afternoon of coffee, tea, and delicious Brazilian treats, all in support of an important cause close to our hearts," a representative told the Leinster Express / Laois Live.

"Over the past few years, we have successfully organised many events across Laois that celebrate Brazilian culture while fostering inclusion, connection, and a strong sense of belonging," the group said.

"Due to reduced public funding, we are now organising this bake sale to help raise funds for our largest annual event, the Festa Junina.

See pictures of last year's Festa Junina celebrations here.

"This free event featured live music, traditional food, games for children, and a joyful atmosphere enjoyed not only by the Brazilian, Irish, and wider migrant community in Laois, but also by people who travelled from Limerick, Dublin, Cork, Kildare, Naas, and many other towns across the country," the association explained.

So far, LABRAS has proudly organised five Festa Junina celebrations, with the 2025 Festa Junina being a particular success, welcoming approximately 500 people.

Beyond large-scale events, LABRAS also runs ongoing projects that promote integration between families and support Brazilian Portuguese as a heritage language.

These include mother and baby meetups, Portuguese storytelling sessions at the local library, and last year's launch of the LABRIS Little Library, a free public library of Portuguese-language books accessible to the entire community.

"At the moment, we are struggling to secure sufficient funding," LABRAS admitted.

"While our goal is always to keep our activities and events free and accessible, we truly need community support to continue this work. This bake sale is a vital part of helping us keep our projects alive and our community connected.

"On the day, there will be plenty of Brazilian traditional food, including coxinha, a variety of cakes, and other homemade delights. We will also be pre-selling traditional dishes, such as feijoada (Brazilian beef stew)," they said.

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"Everyone is invited to stop by, enjoy a coffee or tea with us, and help support a community initiative that brings people together, one slice of cake at a time," the group finished.

For more information on the fundraiser, click here.