Parque Areião: watch the monkeys, never feed them

In early October the Goiânia Mostra Curtas fills Teatro Goiânia and other central venues with Brazilian short films, workshops and talks, and the programming is free. The 24th edition also used the Vila Cultural Cora Coralina and the Galeria Cerrado, so check which room hosts your session. Arrive a little early for…

Jardim Goiás is a quiet residential base beside Parque Flamboyant, a lakeside park, and close to the Flamboyant mall. Evening dining is mostly in neighboring Marista, a short ride away, so you get calm nights without losing the restaurants. Ask your host about the quietest streets and plan rides outside rush hour.

Police in Goiás have arrested people behind fake lodging offers: social profiles posing as pousadas in Pirenópolis, and rental packages in Caldas Novas, pushing advance payment by Pix or transfer. Before you pay, confirm the lodging on a major booking platform or its official site and call the number listed there. Be…

Goiânia celebrates its founding every October 24, with a morning civic parade on Avenida 24 de Outubro in Campinas and a day of concerts and street activities downtown, centered on Avenida Goiás. The parade has drawn crowds with school bands and cultural groups, so arrive early. Look for the city program of the month…

The Orquestra Filarmônica de Goiás, led by principal conductor Neil Thomson, gives regular concerts with free admission in Goiânia. For many of them you do not need to collect a ticket, you simply arrive at the hall before the start. Venues change between the Teatro Basileu França and the Teatro Rio Vermelho at the…

The Centro Cultural Mercado Popular da Rua 74 Marília Mendonça has hosted live shows since 2005, and entry is free. Bars inside stay open into the evening, and the week mixes samba, sertanejo and pop rock, with the weekend sessions in the early evening. Pick a table at a long-running bar and check the weekly lineup…

The Região da 44 is the big garment district of central Goiânia, near the bus terminal, with retail shops and wholesale-retail stores in galleries and malls such as Mega Moda. Several pieces bought together can earn promotional rates, so shop with a friend. Go early in the day, since many shoppers buy at the last…

The Feira do Cerrado sets up on Sunday mornings at the Parque da Criança in Jardim Goiás, with stalls of crafts, decor and Cerrado products made by artisans from Goiás. It is a good place to buy a gift that is truly local instead of mass produced. Talk to the maker about the materials and technique before you buy, and…