Meet the Local Artist Behind the 11 Unique T-Shirts at the Madeira Feast

Still rocking your Madeira Feast t-shirt? Chances are you can't stop wearing it because the designs are awesome. The 110th Feast of the Blessed Sacrament in New Bedford featured 11 designs from a local artist. We caught up with Assonet native Crystal Condeco, who shared her process with us.

From 'Back to the Festa' to 11 New Designs

"Back in 2024, they held a contest for a t-shirt design. I don't know if anybody remembers the Back to the Festa t-shirts, but I did that design and it kind of got the ball rolling with me talking with, Tony Abreu and Tara George," Condeco said.

Her conversations with the feast committee members continued into the following years. "We were chit-chatting about how successful Back to the Festa was and I think they did reprints on that one, so I was like, 'Hey, I've got a lot more in my back pocket'," Condeco said.

READ MORE: The VIP Upgrade Massachusetts' Portuguese Feast Needs

"I probably have 20 or 30 ideas," she said. "I like driving my car sometimes or chit-chatting with my friends and my family to come up with ideas on the fly." Eleven of those ideas were eventually selected, many of which leaned into nostalgia.

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Pop Culture Parodies and Hidden Easter Eggs

"I just love an iconic movie poster or something that's unmistakable. You'll recognize it from a mile away," Condeco said. "People might just be like, 'Oh, 'that looks like an E.T. shirt, but is it?' And then you get all the little Easter eggs when you get up close on it."

There's a shirt inspired by Friends, a few highlighting the delicious Portuguese food and one with a nod to a fallen tradition.

Crystal Condeco

READ MORE: Massachusetts Biggest Portuguese Has a Madeira Wine Tradition Like No Other

A Secret Tribute to Feast History

"If you've got your hands on one of the ticket shirts and you look at the tickets themselves, the ticket numbers star with 1915 for the year the feast started. Then I got up to 2019...and skipped the years during COVID where there was no feast," she said. "I really appreciate everybody that worked those four days and sold all the designs and loved them really as much as I do."

"It's a bit surreal" Condeco said about seeing her designs worn around the area. "I want to provide the best product that I can for everybody to enjoy and remember for years to come."