Every Sunday between 8am and 2pm, Avenida Afonso Pena closes to traffic for two and a half kilometres and fills up with around 3,000 craft and food stalls — handmade leather goods, paintings, ceramics, carved-wood toys, embroidery, jewellery, second-hand books, vinyl records, and a long parade of food vendors at the end nearest Parque Municipal.
It is one of the genuine highlights of the city and a window into local life. Locals come to walk, eat tapioca and pastel, listen to street musicians, and buy birthday presents. Bring cash and a tote bag, and start at the Praça da Liberdade end if you want to work down toward the food section.