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Yes! celebrated Sao Joao for the first time in Petrolina, PE! Saw Joao Gomes and Gustavo Lima preform live!

Lucky for me that I like the Festas Juninas because where I live in the northeast it is a solid-one-month long event that takes over my city. As Rio has the Sambódromo we have a "forródromo," otherwise know as Parque do Povo (The People's Park). The tendency is to grow the event and it already includes national (from other regions) acts.

I head to the backlands where things are more family/friend focused. There's normally a big bonfire. A band gets hired. There's plenty of food & drink. Folks roam from one rural community to the next as different events occur - normally competitive dancing for young people who go to extremes to create "traditional" costumes.

One of the best examples of the now-illegal hot air candle balloon releases I have seen was in São Paulo. I was in the ABC and the sky was filled with balloons. Still, Santos has (had?) a great São João celebration up in Nova Cintra where a lot of "quentão" (hot wine mix) gets served and they have (had?) the best churros.

But I try to tell folks here that, contrary to what seems to go around, São João is hardly a northeastern or even Brazilian festivity. In Europe the activity is strong in a number of places. I once had the pleasure of being in Viana do Castelo Portugal for São João. Exquisite!

" the now-illegal hot air candle balloon releases"

Those were large patched colorful shapes made with rice thin paper. The balloon bottom  end had a supporting wire rim, where the torch soaked in combustible ( often rags with household floor wax and gasoline or kerosene ).

Hot air is lighter, so once the mix was lit up, and the balloon was filled with hot air,  it lifted the whole balloon in the air for the gazing of crowds. 

Now, everything that goes up comes down, as the fuel dwindles.  Ganges raced to recover or scoop the balloons through fields and streets, unless the balloon settled on a roof, a factory, brush, thus causing ravaging fires.

This is why they became illegal. 

Where I am in the NE in Pernambuco, São João is a huge festival that I do not particularily enjoy to be honest. Lots of food I do not like, very loud fireworks that upset my dogs, forro music that I get bored of, bonfires in the rain that make no sense - but wtf do I know?

I sense there are numerous festivals in Brazil that use to have a big religious significance, but now are just another excuse not to work but to PARTY!!!