The Bermuda Day Parade is still weeks away, but members of the Vasco Da Gama Club have already been hard at work for months.

Since February, a committed group of around 15 women have gathered nightly to sew dozens of costumes as they have done every year since 1995, organised by Carlos and Natalie Brum with the support of club president Dennis Rodrigues.

One member of the group, Kelly Ann Pacheco, said: “A lot of people think that we just order these things from overseas, but we do it all ourselves.”

She said the hard work is a labour of love for the group, who are looking forward to presenting an important part of Portuguese heritage — the Festa do São João, or St John’s Festival — during the Bermuda Day Parade.

“Festa do São João is a festival held every year in Vila Franca do Campo, a village on the island of Sao Miguel, where a parade is held every year in honour of the town’s benefactor, São João,” Ms Pacheco said.

“The festivities last about a week, though the highlight of the festival happens on the night of São João, which is the 23rd of June, when hundreds of dancing and singing couples parade through the town’s main street.”

She said the event traditionally has a romantic touch — São João is the protectant Saint of couples, so single men and women usually take advantage of the festivities to look for a boyfriend or girlfriend. Ms Pacheco said she was able to enjoy the parade several years ago and loved the experience.

“It goes from sunset to sunrise the next morning,” she said. “Everywhere you go they’re giving out grilled sardines and corn bread and sweets.”

This year, she said the organisers were particularly inspired by the traditional attire of a group of dancers from Ponta Garca, a village in Sao Miguel, decorated in the blue and white of the flag of the Azores.

She said that the work can be tedious, starting in the early evening and continuing sometimes until the early morning, but she said the work is worth it when the dancers take to the streets.

“The reaction from the people is great,” she said. “We have a lot of Bermudians who support us. They event come up and dance with us.

“As soon as we turn the corner and see that crowd of people, we get goose bumps. We get those goose bumps and that extra energy from the crowd.”