If you’re planning to attend the Santa Maria Music Festival in Sal, Cape Verde, here’s your complete guide — including a firsthand look at the festival site before the event kicks off.
We visited the grounds in Santa Maria ahead of the festival to show you exactly what’s happening, where things will take place, and what to expect on the day. Whether you’re already on the island or planning your trip around the festival, this guide will help you prepare.
What Is the Santa Maria Music Festival?
The Santa Maria Music Festival brings live music to the heart of Santa Maria, one of Sal’s most popular towns for tourists and locals alike. It’s a chance to experience Cape Verdean music culture alongside visitors from around the world, right on the island.
A Look at the Festival Site
Before the festival opens, we walked the site to get a preview of the setup — the stage area, the general layout, and how the space is being prepared. Watching the site come together gives a good sense of scale and where to position yourself for the best experience once the festival begins.
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What to Expect
Live music performances
A mix of local and visiting artists
Food and drink vendors nearby
A lively atmosphere in Santa Maria’s town center
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Tips for Attending
Arrive early to find a good spot, especially near the main stage
Santa Maria gets busy during festival season — book accommodation in advance
Bring cash for local vendors, as not all accept cards
Stay hydrated and wear comfortable shoes — much of the festival area is walkable but can get crowded
Why Visit Sal for the Santa Maria Music Festival
Sal is already known for its beaches, watersports, and year-round sunshine — the music festival adds another reason to visit Santa Maria, combining island life with live entertainment in one of Cape Verde’s most walkable, tourist-friendly towns.
Every series needs a proper ending, and Episode 10 of From Sal to America delivers exactly that — a full American rodeo, followed by an honest, reflective conversation about the entire trip. This is the final episode of the series, and it closes things out in a way that feels earned.
Ending the Trip at an American Rodeo
For our last stop, we wanted something that felt distinctly American, and a rodeo fit perfectly. Bulls, horses, cowboys, and an atmosphere unlike anything else we experienced on this trip — it was loud, high-energy, and a completely new cultural experience for a first-time visitor from Sal, Cape Verde. It made for one of the most memorable final stops we could have picked.
Final Thoughts on the Trip
After the rodeo, we sat down to talk through the entire journey, from the flight over and the first Cape Verdean restaurant in America, all the way through New York City, Kennywood Park, the Pittsburgh Pirates game, Keystone Safari, the Butler County Farm Show, and downtown Pittsburgh. This conversation covers what surprised her most about America, the moments that stood out, and what she’ll carry back home to Cape Verde.
Reflecting on a Cross-Country Journey
What started as a single flight turned into a full season covering cities, food, sports, small-town culture, and family time across Pennsylvania and beyond. This final episode ties it all together, offering a genuine, unscripted look back at what it’s really like experiencing America for the first time as a Cape Verdean traveler.
Watch the Full Episode
The full episode covers the entire rodeo experience along with the full final conversation. Catch Episode 10, the series finale of From Sal to America, on our channel, Discover Sal.
Catch the Whole Series
If you haven’t followed the full journey yet, the entire From Sal to America series — including bonus member-exclusive episodes — is available as a playlist on our channel, Discover Sal. Subscribe to stay updated on what’s next.
From Sal to America is a travel vlog series from Discover Sal, following our trip introducing Cape Verde to America — one first-time experience at a time.
Pittsburgh doesn’t always get the same spotlight as cities like New York, but Episode 9 of From Sal to America proves it deserves a full day of its own. We packed in gardens, food, shopping, and history for a well-rounded introduction to downtown Pittsburgh.
Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens
We started the day at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, one of Pittsburgh’s most iconic attractions. Walking through the glasshouse filled with plants and flowers from around the world was a peaceful, beautiful way to start the day. A great contrast to the busier stops that followed.
Shopping and Lunch in the Strip District
From there, we headed to Pittsburgh’s Strip District, known for its mix of local shops, markets, and food vendors. We spent time browsing the shops before grabbing lunch, soaking in the neighborhood’s energy. A great spot for anyone who wants a taste of authentic, local Pittsburgh culture in one walkable area.
The Heinz History Center
We closed out the day at the Heinz History Center, diving into the history of Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania. For a first-time visitor to the city, it added helpful context to everything we’d seen throughout the day — a good reminder that understanding a place’s history makes exploring it even more meaningful.
A Well-Rounded Day in Pittsburgh
Between the gardens, the Strip District, and the history center, this episode captures a side of Pittsburgh that a lot of visitors miss: a city with a mix of natural beauty, local culture, and deep history, all within a single downtown area. It’s proof that Pittsburgh holds its own as a full-day travel destination.
Watch the Full Episode
The full episode covers the entire day — Phipps Conservatory, the Strip District shops and food, and the Heinz History Center. Catch Episode 9 of From Sal to America on our channel, Discover Sal, and subscribe to follow the rest of the trip.
From Sal to America is a travel vlog series from Discover Sal, following our trip introducing Cape Verde to America — one first-time experience at a time.
Slippery Rock is a small, quiet town in Western Pennsylvania, and North Country Brewery gave us a good excuse to slow the trip down and experience a more local, everyday side of American life. After the high energy of Kennywood Park in Episode 7, this stop offered a nice change of pace.
Trying American Craft Beer
A big part of the episode is trying a few different beers at North Country Brewery. Comparing the experience to what beer culture looks like back home in Cape Verde. American craft beer has its own identity — different styles, different flavors, and a whole culture built around brewery visits like this one. This episode captures a first real introduction to it.
Lunch: Chicken Salad and a Burger
To go with the beer, we ordered lunch: a chicken salad and a classic burger. Simple, well-made pub food that paired well with the laid-back atmosphere of the brewery and rounded out a solid, easygoing afternoon.
A Quieter Side of the Trip
Not every stop on this journey needs to be a major landmark or bucket-list activity. Episode 8 is a reminder that some of the best travel moments happen in the smaller, quieter places. A local brewery, good food, and good conversation. It’s a different kind of episode, but one that fits naturally into the rhythm of the series.
Watch the Full Episode
The full episode covers the entire visit to North Country Brewery. The beers, the food, and the conversation along the way. Catch Episode 8 of From Sal to America on our channel, Discover Sal, and subscribe to follow the rest of the trip.
From Sal to America is a travel vlog series from Discover Sal, following our trip introducing Cape Verde to America — one first-time experience at a time.
Some days on a trip end up meaning more than you expect going in. Episode 7 of From Sal to America takes us to Kennywood Park in Pennsylvania, joined by my sister and nephew, for a day that combined pure adrenaline, a genuinely emotional moment, and some very necessary amusement park food.
What Is Kennywood Park?
Kennywood is a historic amusement park located just outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, known for its classic wooden and steel roller coasters as well as its long-standing traditions as one of the oldest amusement parks in the United States. It’s a staple of Western Pennsylvania summers and a perfect setting for a day of first-time experiences.
Her First Roller Coasters Ever
The centerpiece of this episode is simple: her very first roller coasters, ever. Once she got through the first drop, there was no turning back — she ended up riding several coasters throughout the day, and watching that shift from nervous to fully hooked is one of the best arcs we’ve captured in the series so far.
Fulfilling a Lifelong Dream: Riding a Carousel
Beyond the roller coasters, this episode holds a smaller but more meaningful moment: she’s wanted to ride a carousel her entire life, and Kennywood is where that finally happened. It’s a quiet, simple ride compared to the coasters, but the emotion behind finally checking off a lifelong dream made it one of the most memorable parts of the whole trip.
Kennywood’s Classic Loaded Fries
No trip to Kennywood is complete without trying the park’s classic fries, loaded with cheese and bacon. After a few rounds on the coasters, this ended up being exactly the kind of amusement park food break the day needed — and became a highlight in its own right.
A Family Day Out
This episode also introduced two new faces to the series: my sister and nephew, who joined us for the day. Having family along added a different energy to the episode, with my nephew talking her into a few rides she was hesitant about at first. It made Kennywood feel less like a tourist stop and more like a genuine family day out.
Watch the Full Episode
The full episode captures the entire day at Kennywood — every roller coaster, the carousel ride, the loaded fries, and the family moments in between. Catch Episode 7 of From Sal to America on our channel, Discover Sal, and subscribe to follow the rest of the trip.
From Sal to America is a travel vlog series from Discover Sal, following our trip introducing Cape Verde to America — one first-time experience at a time.
Some of the best travel moments aren’t landmarks at all — they’re small-town American traditions. In Episode 6 of From Sal to America, we head to the Butler County Farm Show for a day of carnival rides, fair food, and farm animals, and it turned into one of the most first-time-experience-packed episodes of the series so far.
What Is the Butler County Farm Show?
The Butler County Farm Show is a classic American county fair in Pennsylvania, combining carnival rides, fair food vendors, and agricultural exhibits with farm animals. It’s the kind of event that’s a staple of small-town American life but rarely appears on a typical travel itinerary, which made it a great addition to this series.
Her First Carnival Ride Ever
We started with the ferris wheel — her first carnival ride ever — before working up to a spin ride that may have been a step too far, too soon. The reaction coming off that ride is one of the best we’ve captured in the whole series, and it captures exactly what this show is about: real, unscripted first-time reactions to everyday American experiences.
Trying Carnival Food for the First Time
No county fair experience is complete without carnival food, so we made sure to try it for the first time as well. Fair food is its own category entirely, and watching someone experience it for the first time — deep-fried everything included — made for one of the more entertaining segments of the episode.
Farm Animals at the Show
Beyond the rides and food, the Butler County Farm Show also features a wide range of farm animals, giving us a nice callback to the horses and barn from Episode 3, but in a completely different, fair-like setting. It rounded out the day with a slower, more relaxed close to an otherwise high-energy episode.
A Small-Town Slice of America
Where earlier episodes focused on major cities and landmarks, this one captures a different, often-overlooked side of American culture: the local county fair. It’s a reminder that some of the most memorable travel experiences come from the smaller, more local events rather than the big tourist attractions.
Watch the Full Episode
The full episode captures the entire day at the Butler County Farm Show — every ride, every reaction, and every bite of carnival food. Catch Episode 6 of From Sal to America on our channel, Discover Sal, and subscribe to follow the rest of the trip.
Baseball is about as American as it gets, so it made sense that Episode 5 of From Sal to America would center around a live game. This time it was the Pittsburgh Pirates taking on the New York Mets, and for someone who had never seen a baseball game in her life, it turned into one of the most entertaining episodes of the series so far.
Walking Into an American Ballpark for the First Time
There’s nothing quite like the atmosphere of a live MLB game — the crowd noise, the between-inning traditions, the smell of hot dogs and ballpark food everywhere you turn. For a first-time visitor from Cape Verde, none of it exists back home, so simply walking into the stadium was already an experience before the first pitch was even thrown.
Explaining Baseball From Scratch
A big part of this episode is exactly what it sounds like: trying to explain baseball, in real time, to someone who has zero context for how the game works. Innings, strikes, balls, why everyone suddenly stands up during the seventh inning stretch — all of it had to be explained on the spot, mid-game, which made for some genuinely funny moments.
If you’ve ever tried to explain baseball to someone completely new to it, you know it’s harder than it sounds. The rules that feel obvious to lifelong fans are anything but obvious to a first-timer, and that gap is really what makes this episode fun to watch.
Pirates vs Mets: The Game Itself
Beyond the crash course in baseball rules, the game itself delivered plenty of highlights, including a home run that we nearly missed filming because we were mid-explanation of what a “strike” even means. Between the Pirates and Mets going back and forth, there was no shortage of action to react to.
A Different Kind of American Culture
Where earlier episodes focused on landmarks and cities, this one is about something more everyday: American sports culture. A baseball game is a completely different kind of experience than the Empire State Building or Times Square — it’s slower, more social, and steeped in tradition, and that made it a great addition to the series.
Watch the Full Episode
The full episode captures the entire game day experience — the stadium, the food, the play-by-play explanations, and every reaction along the way. Catch Episode 5 of From Sal to America on our channel, Discover Sal, and subscribe to follow the rest of the trip.
Not every safari happens in Africa. In Episode 4 of From Sal to America, we head to Keystone Safari in Pennsylvania for a drive-through wildlife experience — and for someone who has never been this close to animals like these, it turned into one of the most surprising stops of the entire trip.
What Is Keystone Safari?
Keystone Safari is a drive-through animal park in Pennsylvania where visitors experience wild and exotic animals up close, directly from their own vehicle. Giraffes, zebras, and a range of other animals roam freely and often approach cars looking for food, making it one of the more unique wildlife experiences you can find in the U.S. without leaving the East Coast.
A First-Time Safari, in America
For a first-time visitor from Sal, Cape Verde, the idea of a “safari” wasn’t something either of us expected to experience in Pennsylvania. Watching giraffes walk right up to the car window, close enough to touch, was a completely new experience — and the reactions caught on camera are some of the best of the series so far.
Feeding the Animals Up Close
Part of the Keystone Safari experience is feeding the animals directly and it didn’t take long for the animals to figure out exactly we had food. We went through our feed much faster than expected, as giraffes and other animals crowded around looking for more. It made for a chaotic, funny, and genuinely memorable part of the day.
A Different Side of American Travel
Where earlier episodes of the series focused on cities and landmarks like the Empire State Building and Times Square, Keystone Safari offered something completely different: a slower, more rural side of America, and a reminder that some of the best travel experiences aren’t in the places you’d expect. It’s proof that you don’t have to travel to Africa for a real safari-style wildlife encounter.
Watch the Full Episode
The full episode captures the entire visit — the drive through the park, every animal encounter, and the moment a giraffe leaned straight into the car window. Catch Episode 4 of From Sal to America on our channel, Discover Sal, and subscribe to follow the rest of the trip.
After a whirlwind half-day in New York City, Episode 3 of From Sal to America slows things down. We arrive at my parents’ house — home base for the rest of the trip — and before we even unpack, we head straight outside for a full tour of the property. For someone visiting from Sal, Cape Verde, this was a completely different side of America than the city: horses, open land, and a lot of green space.
Settling In: Home Base for the Trip
After New York, Providence, and everything in between, arriving at my parents’ house felt like exhaling. This is where we’ll be based for the rest of our time in America, so before diving into unpacking and settling in, we decided to explore the property first — starting outside.
The Horses and the Barn
The horses were the first stop, and easily one of the most memorable moments of the episode. Seeing horses up close for the first time was a completely new experience, and the barn itself — the smell, the space, the routine of it — was nothing like anything back home in Cape Verde. It’s a small detail, but it’s exactly the kind of everyday American life moment this series is built around: not just landmarks, but the ordinary things that feel extraordinary when you’re seeing them for the first time.
The Garden
Next was a walk through the garden. Between the different plants, the layout, and just how much space there was to grow things, it was a quiet but meaningful contrast to island life on Sal, where land and greenery look completely different. It’s these smaller, slower moments that end up saying the most about what it’s like adjusting to a new environment.
The Pool
We wrapped up the outdoor tour at the pool — a preview of what’s likely to be a recurring spot for the rest of the trip. After a few packed travel days between flights, NYC, and trains, the pool felt like the first real moment to relax since landing in America.
A Different Side of America
Where Episode 2 was all skyscrapers and crowds, Episode 3 is the opposite: open space, animals, and quiet. That contrast is intentional — America isn’t just Times Square, and this episode captures the more residential, everyday side of the trip. It’s also the start of a new chapter in the series, since this house is where we’ll be staying going forward.
Watch the Full Episode
The full episode captures all of this in real time — first reactions to the horses, the walk through the garden, and the moment we finally sat by the pool. Catch Episode 3 of From Sal to America on our channel, Discover Sal, and subscribe to follow the rest of the trip.
